Senators consider proposed amendments to Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts

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Senators are considering proposed amendments to President Donald Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts. Senators hunkered down Monday in what's called a vote-a-rama, or a vote-a-thon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says it's time to vote.

Transcript

00:00After a weekend of exhausting and divisive debates between Senate Republicans over their

00:04signature tax breaks and spending cut plan that included at least one GOP senator saying

00:08they would no longer seek re-election after a public spat with President Donald Trump,

00:12the lawmakers have now decided that they are going to proceed with a marathon series of

00:16amendments known as a vote-a-thon.

00:18So what is a vote-a-thon?

00:20In essence, it's an endurance test for lawmakers where senators are allowed to propose an unlimited

00:24number of amendments to this bill.

00:27In theory, it could go on forever, though senators have said that they predict that

00:30it's going to take about 12 to 15 hours to get through the process.

00:33I mean, this is called a vote-a-rama for a reason, so we're about ready to walk in the

00:37thunderdome.

00:38I don't know how many there are going to be.

00:39Democrats are saying that they're going to submit amendments on issues such as health

00:42care, tax cuts for the wealthy, and potential cuts to social programs and environmental programs,

00:48whereas some conservative Republicans have said that they're going to propose amendments

00:51that would extend or deepen the cuts to some programs and also tackle issues such as the

00:57deficit, whereas some more moderate Republicans have said that they've raised issues in the

01:00amendment process on policies such as rural hospitals.

01:04But even after this lengthy amendment process, the bill only has a narrow pathway to passage

01:09after two GOP senators have said that it's dead on arrival with them.

01:13Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has said that he will never vote for raising the debt ceiling,

01:16which means that he cannot support the bill in its current form.

01:19Meanwhile, Senator Tham Tillis of North Carolina has said that the cuts to Medicaid in the bill

01:23at the moment are too steep for his state.

01:25The goal all along has been to get this sweeping package to President Trump's desk by July 4th.

01:31Though even after the Senate potentially passes this bill, it will have to go back to the

01:35House, where House Speaker Mike Johnson will have to make the case to some moderate Republicans

01:39to support the bill even after a number of changes to social programs and tax cuts.

01:43So here's the line with the Democrats.

01:45Let's read the倒 таких Democrats.

01:49And there's the question, though, about putting up the bill in the bill in the bill that

01:54Pac-129.

01:55And a member of the Senate does not subscribe to our House, where we do not update the bill.

02:00So, with the Democrats on this bill, the Democrats are 팁, which provides

02:02the Democrats on this bill that has been visible throughout the month.

02:05And with the Democrats on this bill, it's possible from this bill that comes from the

02:07so-called情況.

02:07And we can like to schedule the of the Democrats.

02:08And then, let's take a look at the Democrats on this bill.

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