Lawmakers from both parties are responding to President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” after it cleared a critical Senate vote Saturday night.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who dramatically reversed his stance from opposing to supporting the legislation, issued a statement calling the sweeping measure a “necessary first step” toward fiscal sustainability and addressing what he described as the problems left behind by the Biden administration.
“Biden and the Democrats left behind enormous messes that we are trying to clean up – an open border, wars, and massive deficits,” Johnson said. “After working for weeks with President Trump and his highly capable economic team, I am convinced that he views this as a necessary first step and will support my efforts to help put America on a path to fiscal sustainability.”
The Senate voted 51-49 along party lines to move forward with the bill, with only two Republicans—Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky—breaking ranks to oppose opening the 20-hour debate. Trump singled them out for criticism on Truth Social.
“Thom Tillis has hurt the great people of North Carolina. Even on the catastrophic flooding, nothing was done to help until I took office. Then a MIRACLE took place! Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER! He’s even worse than Rand ‘Fauci’ Paul!” Trump wrote.
Predictably, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the measure. “Senate Republicans are scrambling to pass a radical bill, released to the public in the dead of night, praying the American people don’t realize what’s in it,” Schumer said in a statement, noting he was forcing the chamber to hear the entire contents of the 940-page bill. “If Senate Republicans won’t tell the American people what’s in this bill, then Democrats are going to force this chamber to read it from start to finish.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, released a statement calling the legislation “significant,” and “soon we will vote to send it over to the House and on to President Trump’s desk to become law.”
“Senate Republicans are one step closer to delivering on President Trump’s agenda by advancing the One Big Beautiful Bill, which will avoid a massive tax increase on Texas families, secure our southern border, remove burdensome taxes on Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights, and chart our country on a path toward fiscal sanity after years of frivolous spending in Washington under Joe Biden,” Cornyn said.
Trump also called the Senate vote a “great victory” and directly praised Sens. Johnson, Scott, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“They, along with all of the other Republican Patriots who voted for the Bill, are people who truly love our Country!” Trump wrote. “As President of the USA, I am proud of them all, and look forward to working with them to GROW OUR ECONOMY, REDUCE WASTEFUL SPENDING, SECURE OUR BORDER, FIGHT FOR OUR MILITARY/VETS, ENSURE THAT OUR MEDICAID SYSTEM HELPS THOSE WHO TRULY NEED IT, PROTECT OUR SECOND AMENDMENT, AND SO MUCH MORE. GOD BLESS AMERICA &, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
