Senators pull all-nighter to work on tax bill

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The vote-a-rama is underway as senators worked all night on the president’s tax bill. It’s been an uphill battle for both sides as Democrats try to change parts of the bill and Republican leadership attempts to keep the party aligned to support the bill.

For more than a dozen hours the Senate held votes on different amendments, as Republicans race to get the legislation to the president by the Fourth of July.

Senators churned through amendment after amendment throughout the night, for President Trump’s big, beautiful bill.

“Let’s vote. This is good for America,” said Sen. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).

Senate Republican Leader John Thune spent much of the night having discussions with some Republican holdouts, to bolster enough yes votes for the 940-page bill.

“I’ve already stipulated I have concerns with the Medicaid bill. You all know where I am on that,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis has said he will not vote in support of the bill because of Medicaid cuts but does not take issue with other aspects of the bill.

“There is nothing in this tax bill that I think that falls short of extraordinary opportunity for economic growth that lifts up the very people that I grew up with,” said Tillis.

Many Democrats have echoed the concern around Medicaid cuts. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey warned of the impact it could have on rural hospitals.

“I have released a list of more than 300 rural hospitals across the country, at risk of closing or stopping services because of any major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid,” said Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).

One Republican amendment aimed to increase the bill’s rural hospital relief fund. Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden shot the amendment down saying it doesn’t fix the problem.

“It is a Band-Aid on an amputation. It provides just a tiny fraction of the nearly $1 trillion in cuts the bill makes to Medicaid,” said Wyden.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has already sighted potential problems the Senate bill could face when it is sent back to the House which could affect the president’s deadline.