Week 26 Legislative Recap (and a message from Project Liberal)
Recap of the Big Beautiful Vote-A-Rama
Other than minor procedural things, the main priority in Congress last week was Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, which ultimately passed in both the House and Senate. It was signed by the president on Friday.
This recap is a list of all the amendments that happened during the “vote-a-rama” that occurred in the long hours during the bill’s passage. However, this does not include all of the other amendments proposed prior to this week. There were 393 amendments proposed in total, and you can look at them here. This week, we are just listing the votes that took place during the sessions last week.
However, now that we are six months into Donald Trump’s second term, we want to add an asterisk to this week’s recap.
Project Liberal was formed to draw attention to legislation just like this. The Big Beautiful Bill will reshape government at every level in ways that will still be felt many years from now and marks a significant step backwards for liberty.
Project Liberal is still working on a proprietary, AI-assisted candidate scorecard that will rate candidates of all parties based on criteria such as voting history and public statements. If you want to be part of that project, we need your help.
A healthy democracy depends on voters having accurate and reliable information about public officials seeking their vote. Project Liberal aims to find which politicians most align with liberal values and which ones support the sort of anti-liberal policies that are in this budget bill.
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Big Beautiful Bill in the Senate
One Big Beautiful Bill Act (as amended): H.R. 1 Reconcilliation bill. Passed by roll call vote 51-50. Lisa Murkowski provided the key Republican vote, allowing Vice President JD Vance to break the tie.
Amendments to Senate version that passed
Ernst Amendment No. 2372: To end unemployment payments to jobless millionaires. Passed by voice vote.
Blackburn Amendment No. 2814): To strike the section relating to support for artificial intelligence. Passed by roll call vote 99-1.
Kennedy Amendment No. 2790: To advance the effective date of the eligibility verification requirements from January 1, 2028, to January 1, 2027. Passed by voice vote.
Amendment No. 2848 (to Amendment No. 2360): Relates to reconciliation. Subsequently, a point of order was sustained against page 1, lines 3 to 5, which violates section 313(b)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and the text was stricken. The amendment passed by roll call vote 51-50, with the Vice President breaking a 50-50 tie.
Thune (for Graham) Amendment No. 2360: In the nature of a substitute. Passed by roll call vote 51-50, with the Vice President breaking a 50-50 tie.
Amendments and motions that were rejected
Schumer motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Markey motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 49-51.
Wyden motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Coons motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 48-52.
Luján motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Passed by roll call vote 49-51.
Reed motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 48-52.
Blunt Rochester motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 48-52.
Kaine motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Blumenthal motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Armed Services, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Gallego motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Hassan motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 48-52.
Duckworth motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 49-51.
Schiff motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Alsobrooks motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by voice vote.
Kelly motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by voice vote.
Murphy motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by voice vote.
King motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by voice vote.
Padilla motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Bennet motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Wyden motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Hirono Amendment No. 2382 (to Amendment No. 2360): To eliminate a program of qualified elementary and secondary education scholarships for public, private, or religious schools. Failed by roll call vote 50-50.
Warnock motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. Failed by roll call vote 48-51.
Lee Amendment No. 2745 (to Amendment No. 2360), to terminate wind and solar credits. Failed by roll call vote 21-79.
Kim Amendment No. 2817 (to Amendment No. 2360), to strike a provision relating to limitations on certain Medicaid payments. Failed by roll call vote 48-52.
Amendment No. 2435 (to Amendment No. 2360): To cut the price of prescription drugs under Medicare in half and expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Amendment No. 2717 (to Amendment No. 2360), to maintain parity for wind and solar facilities under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Hickenlooper Amendment No. 2719 (to Amendment No. 2360): To modify the provision terminating the residential clean energy credit.
Amendment No. 2564 (to Amendment No. 2360): To repeal amendments that terminate certain clean energy credits. Failed by roll call vote 49-51.
Warner Amendment No. 2847 (to Amendment No. 2360): To use of revenues from lease payments from Metropolitan Washington Airports for aviation safety improvements. Failed by roll call vote 50-50.
Van Hollen Amendment No. 2585 (to Amendment No. 2360): To strike the appropriations for the Office of Management and Budget. Failed by roll call vote 50-50.
Klobuchar/Kelly Amendment No. 2849 (to Amendment No. 2848): To strike a provision relating to delayed implementation of the supplemental nutrition assistance program matching funds requirements. Failed by roll call vote 45-55.
Procedural votes
Senate agreed that the Decision of the Chair stand as the Judgment of the Senate that Thune (for Graham) Amendment No. 2360 (listed above) does not violate section 313(b)(1)(E) of the Congressional Budget Act. Passed by roll call vote 53-47.
Senate agreed that the Decision of the Chair stand as the Judgment of the Senate that Thune (for Graham) Amendment No. 2360 (listed above) Title VII does not violate section 313(b)(1)(b) of the Congressional Budget Act. Passed 53-47.
Senate agreed to the motion to waive with respect to the pending measure. Subsequently, the point of order that the pending measure contains an unfunded intergovernmental mandate, and violates section 425(a)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, was not sustained, and thus the point of order fell. Failed by roll call vote 51-48.
Senate rejected a motion to waive section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 with respect to Ossoff Amendment No. 2696 (to Amendment No. 2360), to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the enhanced premium tax credits and increase the individual tax rate for taxpayers with income over $10,000,000. Subsequently, a point of order that the amendment would cause the underlying legislation to exceed the Finance Committee section 302(a) allocation of new budget authority and outlays was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Senate rejected a motion to waive section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 with respect to Warren Amendment No. 2414 (to Amendment No. 2360), to strike the reduction in the funding cap for the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Subsequently, a point of order that the amendment would cause the underlying legislation to exceed the Finance Committee section 302(a) allocation of new budget authority and outlays was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Senate rejected a motion to waive with respect to Cornyn Amendment No. 2705 (to Amendment No. 2360), to reduce the FMAP for the Medicaid expansion to 80 percent in expansion States that provide State-funded coverage to aliens who are not qualified aliens and who are have been charged with or convicted of certain acts. Subsequently, the point of order that the Amendment violates the ``Byrd Rule'' section 313(b)(1)(D) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by roll call vote 56-44 (requires three-fifths).
Senate rejected a motion to waive with respect to Merkley Amendment No. 2446 (to Amendment No. 2360), to prevent cryptocurrency corruption. Subsequently, the point of order that the Amendment violates the ``Byrd Rule'' section 313(b)(1)(D) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by roll call vote 47-53.
Senate rejected a motion to waive section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 with respect to Murray Amendment No. 2771 (to Amendment No. 2360), to strike the provision to defund Planned Parenthood. Subsequently, a point of order that the amendment would cause the underlying legislation to exceed the Finance Committee section 302(a) allocation of new budget authority and outlays was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by roll call vote 49-51.
Senate rejected a motion to waive with respect to Blackburn Amendment No. 2401 (to Amendment No. 2360), to prohibit Federal financial participation under Medicaid and CHIP for individuals without verified citizenship, nationality, or satisfactory immigration status. Subsequently, the point of order that the Amendment violates the ``Byrd Rule'' section 313(b)(1)(D) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by roll call vote 53-47 (requires three-fifths).
Senate rejected a motion to waive with respect to Kennedy Amendment No. 2772 (to Amendment No. 2360), to prohibit the use of Defense Production Act of 1950 funds without the approval of Congress. Subsequently, the point of order that the Amendment violates section 313(b)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by roll call vote 42-58.
Senate rejected a motion to waive with respect to Collins Amendment No. 2812 (to Amendment No. 2360), to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to apply a 39.6 percent individual income tax rate, and to provide additional funding and specific eligible providers under the Rural Health Transformation Program. Subsequently, a point of order that the amendment violates section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by roll call vote 22-78.
Senate rejected the motion to waive all applicable sections of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and applicable budget resolutions for purposes of Thune (for Kennedy) Amendment No. 2775 (to Amendment No. 2360), to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a deduction for expenses of home educators. Subsequently, the point of order that the amendment was in violation of section 4106 of the fiscal year 2018 Budget Resolution, H. Con. Res. 71, of the 115th Congress, the Senate pay-as-you-go point of order, was not sustained, and the amendment thus fell. Failed by 54-46 (requires three-fifths).
HOUSE
One Big Beautiful Bill Act: The House agreed to the motion to concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 1, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14. This is the main motion to pass the Senate version as amended, and it passed by roll call vote 218-214.
H. Res. 566, amended, the rule providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1) was agreed to by a vote of 219-213 after the amendment offered by Representative Foxx was agreed to by a vote of 220-212 after the previous question was ordered by a vote of 214-212. Earlier, the House agreed to consider the resolution by a vote of 212-211.