Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate passed its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act shortly after midday on July 1, following an extended period of debate and a marathon voting session that lasted through the night. The legislation advanced after a 50–50 tie vote was broken by Vice President JD Vance, who cast the deciding vote in his role as President of the Senate.
The vote followed several weeks of contentious deliberations over the bill’s provisions. Lawmakers from both parties offered numerous amendments during the final stages of consideration. On June 30, the Senate entered into a “vote-a-rama,” a continuous sequence of amendment votes that began in the afternoon and continued into the early hours of July 1.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer required that the full text of the bill be read aloud on the Senate floor before voting began. The move, though procedural, added several hours to the session and drew criticism from some senators who described it as a delay tactic.
Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) voted against the bill. Their opposition did not alter the outcome, as the evenly split chamber allowed Vice President Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where further debate and potential amendments are expected.
