US President Donald Trump's "The One, Big, Beautiful Bill" is one step closer to becoming law. Senate lawmakers narrowly passed it on Tuesday, with Vice President JD Vance serving as the tiebreaker.
The bill passed 51 to 50 after Vance cast the deciding vote. Trump hailed the outcome during a visit to a new immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, saying; "Thank you. Wow. You know, I was waiting for these wonderful words, they are music to my ears."
The legislation contains his key agenda items, including sweeping tax cuts. It extends personal tax cuts from his first term, and exempts taxes on tips and overtime pay for restaurant workers for a period of time.
But the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will add over 3 trillion dollars to the US debt. Democrats have called it the "most expensive bill in US history," and have sharply criticized it for slashing safety-net programs. Three Republican senators joined their ranks to vote against it.
The 940-page Senate version of the bill will now be sent to the House of Representatives for approval, before reaching Trump's desk. He has been pressuring his party to pass it before the nation celebrates Independence Day on July 4th.