Elon Musk has threatened to take out every Republican lawmaker who supports his former best friend President Donald Trump’s new tax and spending bill. In a post on X, Elon wrote: “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.” This warning was issued just hours before the Senate began voting on Trump’s bill, a 940-page legislative monster that would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion and cut deeply into federal aid programs. According to the Associated Press, the Senate began voting on Monday using a method called “vote-a-rama” — a nonstop amendment process that lets any senator offer any number of changes. The goal is to wrap up the process fast and get the bill passed before Trump’s July 4 deadline. The bill already cleared a key hurdle Saturday night with a narrow 51-49 vote, but final passage isn’t guaranteed. Republicans need 50 of their 53 senators to stay united, and a few have already jumped ship. Rand Paul and Thom Tillis break from party over debt and Medicaid Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky is out. He opposes the bill because of the massive debt increase . Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina is also voting no. He gave a speech on the Senate floor Sunday night calling the Medicaid cuts in the bill a betrayal. “So what do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off Medicaid?” Thom asked. He also slammed Trump’s team for being advised by “amateurs” who confuse real health policy with “waste, fraud and abuse.” Hours before that speech, Thom announced he won’t run for re-election in 2026. Senator Susan Collins from Maine said she’s “leaning against” the final vote even though she voted to advance the bill on Saturday. Susan wants higher taxes on wealthy Americans, not cuts to Medicaid. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also helped push the bill forward but raised similar concerns about health care cuts. The GOP leadership is under pressure to make it work before the July 4 deadline set by Trump, now in his second term in the White House. To hide the true cost of the bill, the GOP introduced a budget tactic called the “current policy baseline.” It shaves $3.8 trillion off the bill’s official price tag by pretending that temporary tax cuts from 2017 were always meant to be permanent. The Senate had never used this trick before. On Monday, Republicans voted 53-47 to approve it. Democrats like Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon called it “the nuclear option,” warning that it will “cut both ways” if power flips. Bill boosts military, cuts benefits, and sparks more backlash The bill also cuts taxes on tips and overtime pay, adds $150 billion in military funding, and pumps new money into Trump’s immigration and deportation operations. To cover those costs, it slashes Medicaid, food stamps, and clean energy funds. It also raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion—needed to avoid a default in August. All of this was jammed into one bill using budget reconciliation, which lets Republicans bypass the 60-vote rule and dodge a filibuster. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York tried to slow things down by forcing a full reading of the bill, dragging out the process by 16 hours. A spokesperson for Chuck said Democrats will use the amendment process to “highlight the disastrous impacts of the GOP’s historically unpopular proposal,” especially on rural hospitals and health coverage. But they don’t have the votes to stop it. If the Senate passes the bill, it moves to the House. The House already passed its version on May 22 — by a single vote. Speaker Mike Johnson and his team told Republicans to be ready to fly back to Washington as early as Tuesday. The final House vote could happen as soon as Wednesday. Trump wants the bill signed before Friday. Cryptopolitan Academy: Tired of market swings? Learn how DeFi can help you build steady passive income. Register Now
