Senate advances massive bill for Trump's agenda after GOP leaders sway holdouts

It's unclear if Senate GOP leaders have the votes to pass the rapidly evolving legislation, with a self-imposed July 4 deadline for passage quickly approaching.

WASHINGTON — The Republican-led Senate on Saturday night advanced a sweeping domestic policy package for President Donald Trump’s agenda after a dramatic hourslong vote, moving it one step closer to passage.

The vote was 51-49, with two Republicans — Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joining all Democrats in opposition.

Saturday’s procedural vote was delayed for hours as party leaders scrambled to resolve internal disputes. And it hung on a knife’s edge for more than three hours on the floor, as a handful Republicans — Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming — withheld their votes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and other GOP leaders were ultimately able to win them over, teeing up a vote on final passage in the coming days.

Vice President JD Vance also traveled to the Capitol on Saturday evening in case his vote was needed to break a 50-50 tie. But Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who initially opposed the motion to proceed, ended up switching his vote.

“We’ve been working to deliver on our promise of a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America. Now we have the opportunity to pass a bill that advances all of these priorities and sets our country up for better days ahead,” Thune said on the floor. “We’ve worked hard on this, and now it’s time to deliver.”