4 days ago
US Senate passes Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill, setting up House battle
US Senate Republicans passed President Donald Trump's massive tax-cut and spending bill on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, advancing a package that would slash taxes, reduce social safety net programmes and boost military and immigration enforcement spending while adding $3.3-trillion (R58-trillion) to the national debt.
The legislation heads to the House of Representatives for possible final approval, though a handful of Republicans there have voiced opposition to some of the Senate provisions.
Trump wants to sign it into law by the July 4 Independence Day holiday, and house speaker Mike Johnson said he aimed to meet the deadline.
The measure would extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts, give new tax breaks for income from tips and overtime pay and increase spending on the military and immigration enforcement. It also would cut about $930bn (R16.3-trillion) of spending on the Medicaid health programme and food aid for low-income Americans and repeal many of Democratic former president Joe Biden's green-energy incentives.
The legislation, which has exposed Republican divides over the nation's fast-growing $36.2-trillion (R637-trillion) debt, would raise the federal government's self-imposed debt ceiling by $5-trillion (R88-trillion). Congress must raise the cap in the coming months or risk a devastating default.
