WASHINGTON — The Senate entered its 14th hour of voting only inches closer to passing its massive reconciliation bill as Democrats hammered their GOP colleagues with more than a dozen procedural votes to delay final passage.
The Senate began its marathon voting session — colloquially known as a vote-a-rama on Capitol Hill — around 9 a.m. ET, but Republican leaders were still scrambling to finalize key details of the package even as they moved forward with amendment votes on the floor. Some of the most controversial portions of the bill remained unresolved as lawmakers hammered out last-minute deals and agreements, with many conceding the process could drag on into the early hours of Tuesday.
“None of us know” how long it will take, Utah Sen. John Curtis told the Deseret News outside the Senate chamber. “Every person I ask will give me a different answer. And I think it’s truly (that) nobody knows.”
When asked if details were still being worked out behind the scenes, Curtis replied: “Oh yeah. I think so. That’s why it’s hard to comment right now.”
Democrats, in apparent acknowledgment they do not have the votes to stop the full tax bill from passing, have vowed to make the process as painful as possible. Senators in the minority party have introduced several motions to reconsider the budget framework’s contents, all of which have been soundly rejected by Republicans but consequently have swallowed up hours on the floor.
Meanwhile, senators in both parties have filed roughly 300 amendments to the bill that could receive votes on the floor, potentially delaying the package even further.
“Why would we want to stop offering amendments when they show the contrast between the parties?” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters on Monday evening. “We want to do as many amendments as we can.”
But many of the provisions led by Republicans contain crucial parts of the bill that have yet to be finalized — meaning senators were continuing to hash out and draft pieces of the legislation as it was being voted on. And some amendments revealed the remaining cracks threatening to divide the GOP on enacting President Donald Trump’s agenda.
One amendment introduced by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., sought to undo a Republican proposal to block Planned Parenthood from receiving federal Medicaid funds, which received support from two GOP senators: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. The provision ultimately failed in a 51-49 vote, short of the 60-vote threshold needed.
The process has also unveiled breakaways on the Democratic side after Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., voted in favor of an amendment that would block undocumented citizens from receiving Medicaid coverage.
Several more contentious votes are on the docket that could make or break the final product.
Collins, a key holdout over the last month, has at least three amendments that could determine her support to pass the bill. The Maine Republican, who is up for reelection next year, offered new language to delay cuts to Medicaid provider taxes to ease spending cuts toward medical providers.
Collins is also pushing a proposal to allocate more funding to stabilize rural hospitals affected by Medicaid cuts and to delay stricter work requirements for the healthcare program.
If those changes are not accepted, it’s not clear if Collins will back the full package.
At the same time, Senate leadership is carefully considering changes to the tax megabill, known by Republicans as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as some fiscal conservatives in the House have already warned they won’t vote for a significantly altered bill.
GOP leaders are hoping to get the final product through the House and Senate to be delivered to Trump’s desk by the Fourth of July — giving them just three days to overcome major policy differences.