U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) walks to the Senate floor as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
“I believe we do,” Thune said, when asked by reporters if Republicans have reached a deal, following days of evolving negotiations and last-minute additions to convince skeptical GOP lawmakers to back the megabill.
Thune did add, however, that he is “always a bit of a realist.”
Republican leadership has worked around the clock for days to secure enough votes in the upper chamber to push it across the finish line in the Senate.
After that, it would go back to the House for a final vote on the Senate revisions.
U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) walks with reporters after leaving the Senate chambers, as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025.
Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters
For more than 24 hours, senators have voted on dozens of amendments to the bill in a marathon, record-breaking vote-a-rama session.
Behind the scenes, GOP leadership has been negotiating with hold-outs in their conference who, for days, have threatened to sink Trump’s bill.
Vice President JD Vance arrived at the U.S. Capitol early Tuesday, underscoring that Republican leadership was preparing for the vice president needing to cast the tie-breaking vote.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance (C) arrives during a vote-a-rama at the U.S. Capitol, on July 1, 2025 in Washington, DC. Republican leaders are pushing to get President Donald Trump’s so-called “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” Act through Congress and to his desk before the July 4 Independence Day holiday.
Al Drago | Getty Images News | Getty Images
As negotiations on the bill stretched on, Trump suggested Tuesday that he was open to delaying the July 4 deadline that he has emphasized for weeks.
“I would think maybe July 4, but somewhere around there,” Trump said at the White House on Tuesday morning.
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