Sign up for our newsletter and get the best of the Beacon delivered every day to your inbox.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by the narrowest of margins this morning after days of debate and more than 24 hours of “vote-a-rama” (yes, that is the technical term for it) in the U.S. Senate.
Three GOP senators — Susan Collins, R-Maine; Rand Paul, R-Kentucky; and Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina — voted no on the legislation, leaving it at a 50-50 tie. Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking “yes” vote to move President Donald Trump’s mega-bill forward.
The bill is more than 900 pages long. It gives more funding to the military, border security and immigration enforcement, along with extending and expanding Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. It also fulfills his campaign promise of no taxation on tips. At the same time, the legislation comes with cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, green energy tax credits and student aid. All in all, the Senate’s version comes with a hike to the national debt, to the tune of potentially more than $5 trillion.
Montana Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy (pictured above) both voted yes on the bill and trumpeted its success Tuesday morning. Both said the bill’s passage was part of Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Sheehy’s statement is found in its entirety below:
“From securing the border, to strengthening our military, to preventing the largest tax increase in history while implementing no tax on tips and overtime, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill delivers huge wins for working-class families across the country and revives the American Dream. I’m proud to see it pass the Senate. Montanans and Americans spoke clearly on November 5th: they expect us to deliver on the America First agenda, and they can rest assured I’ll keep fighting to unleash prosperity and restore common sense in our nation’s capital.”
And here’s what Daines had to say:
“The American people were clear in November that they were ready for change. Today we delivered on our promise to support President Trump’s America First agenda. The Big Beautiful Bill secures the border, strengthens our national security, unleashes American energy, reduces wasteful spending and cuts taxes for working families. Montanans will be better off because of this bill and I was proud to support it.”
Daines’ office also released a statement saying the bill included “several of his biggest tax priorities.”
The executive director of the Montana Democrats, Justin Ailport, released a statement responding to the bill’s passage as well. Ailport called the bill a “dumpster fire” that would strip health insurance and food assistance from Montanans. His full statement:
“Daines and Sheehy once again failed to stand up for working Montanans and their families by voting in favor of Trump’s dumpster fire, billionaire-first budget. Daines and Sheehy know well that this budget will strip away tens of thousands of Montanans of their health insurance and food assistance. Hospitals and clinics in Montana will be forced to cut back service or even close their doors, disproportionately impacting rural Montana and indigenous communities. Not to mention, this bill will kill good-paying jobs and explode the national deficit all in the name of providing tax breaks for billionaires.
Daines and Sheehy have proven once again they don’t give a damn about Montanans, but Democrats in Montana will not stop fighting and are mobilizing to hold Republicans accountable everywhere. The stakes have never been higher.”
It now heads back to the House, where again, it faces an uphill climb as a narrow Republican majority grapples with the Senate’s changes to the bill. The House Freedom Caucus, a group of a few dozen of the most conservative Republicans in the chamber, raised concerns Monday about the amount of debt added by the Senate’s amendments.
The GOP-controlled House is still up against a Trump-imposed July 4 deadline to get the legislation across the finish line. It could begin voting on the legislation as soon as Wednesday.
As for Montana’s House representatives …
Rep. Ryan Zinke (pictured above) indicated he planned to vote yes on the bill for a second time Monday after a public land sale provision got stripped from the legislation.
And Rep. Troy Downing voted yes on the bill in the House the first time. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to call on his party to unite and “get this once in a generation legislation to (the president’s) desk by Independence Day.”
I’m Mariah Thomas, and I’ve got the rest of Tuesday’s Daily Roundup.
The Flathead’s Frozen Real Estate Market Begins to Thaw
A rise in inventory is bringing some more flexibility to the housing market, but pricey homes and high mortgage rates continue to pose barriers for many buyers
With Upcoming Debut Concert, Glacier Bank Park Looks for a Hit with Flathead Music Fans
The July 11 show will feature music from a trio of country musicians, with Tyler Rich headlining the show, and opening acts Scotty Hasting and Maggie Baugh
The best stories are those that make a difference in the community we call home. Your support makes those stories possible. Please consider chipping in a one-time gift or sign up for a recurring contribution and join the hundreds of members in our Editor’s Club. Every little bit helps.
Every donation is injected straight into the newsroom.
