Michigan’s two Democratic U.S. Senators came up on the losing side of Tuesday’s Senate vote on President Donald Trump’s massive tax breaks and spending bill.
Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie for Republicans on Tuesday after a tense overnight session.
The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, the President’s signature legislative priority teetering on the edge of approval, or collapse.
The bill goes back to the House, where it squeaked through by a single vote in May.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) described the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” as “historic,” arguing it will “make the nation safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”
That’s not how Michigan Democratic Senator Gary Peters sees it. Michigan’s senior U.S. Senator called it “reckless, irresponsible, and an unconscionable betrayal of American families.”
Michigan’s other U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin said, “History will not be kind to this bill.”
The first-term senator called on her constituents to call their local congressmen and women to ask them to reject the bill when it returns to the House of Representatives.
Back in May, Michigan’s congressional representatives voted along party lines on the legislation. Seven Republican lawmakers voting for it. Six Democrats voting against.
The legislation contains more money for defense and border security. It also extends tax cuts enacted during the first Trump administration.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the bill would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade. Some Republicans have expressed concerns about cuts to social programs, including Medicaid. Democrats have also criticized tax breaks that would benefit the wealthiest Americans.
