Amidst political drama and high stakes, the Senate rejected several amendments to Trump’s megabill, only allowing one concerning AI regulations to succeed.
At a Glance
- In a marathon “vote-a-rama” session, the Senate defeated numerous amendments to President Trump’s signature tax-and-spending bill.
- Failed amendments included a bid by Sen. Susan Collins to double rural hospital funding and a proposal from Sen. John Cornyn for deeper Medicaid cuts.
- The only significant amendment to pass was a bipartisan measure to strip a controversial 10-year moratorium on state AI regulations from the bill.
- The underlying bill, now slightly modified, is moving closer to a final vote ahead of a July 4th deadline.
A Legislative Gauntlet in the Senate
The U.S. Senate engaged in a chaotic, all-night “vote-a-rama” session, a legislative gauntlet designed to consider dozens of amendments to President Donald Trump’s signature “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The high-stakes process saw both parties force politically charged votes, but ultimately, the core of the massive tax-and-spending package remained intact.
Most of the proposed changes were defeated as senators from both parties worked to preserve a delicate and hard-fought compromise ahead of a looming July 4th deadline.
A Graveyard for Amendments
The marathon session became a graveyard for numerous high-profile amendments. According to a tally by Fox News, several key proposals failed to get the votes needed for inclusion, including
- An amendment from Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to double funding for rural hospitals, paid for by a tax hike on high earners.
- An amendment from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) that sought even deeper cuts to Medicaid than were already in the bill.
- An amendment from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) to create a $600 tax deduction for teachers who buy their own school supplies.
- An amendment from Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) to enhance the Child Tax Credit.
The failure of these measures highlights the difficulty of altering a massive reconciliation bill once its basic framework has been set.
A Singular Bipartisan Success on AI
In a rare moment of overwhelming bipartisan consensus, only one significant amendment was successfully added to the bill. In a near-unanimous 99-1 vote, the Senate voted to strip a controversial provision that would have placed a 10-year moratorium on states being able to pass their own laws regulating artificial intelligence.
As reported by Politico, the AI moratorium had faced a surprising backlash from conservatives, who decried it as a violation of states’ rights and a giveaway to Big Tech. Its removal was seen as a major victory for a diverse coalition of lawmakers.
With the chaotic “vote-a-rama” complete, the underlying bill now moves forward, slightly altered but largely intact, for a final passage vote as the deadline approaches.
