Senate Heads for Vote-a-Rama on OBBBA

On June 28, the Senate voted 51-49 on the motion to proceed with debate on a revised version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) (H.R. 1), triggering a statutorily required 20 hours of debate divided equally between the two parties. Democrats objected to a procedural measure that allows the chamber to bypass reading the bill aloud, which requires Senate staff to read the 940-page bill aloud in its entirety before debate can begin. Once the time for debate expires, the Senate enters the amendments portion of the process commonly known as a “vote-a-rama.” During this phase, the rules allow senators to propose modifications to the bill until their list, or their will to continue, is exhausted. Please click here or below to access Brownstein’s vote-a-rama tracker, which will be updated in real-time as amendments are considered on the floor.

The Senate bill contains several significant differences from the version passed by the House on May 22, including State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT) alterations, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP) program modifications and Medicaid changes, among other areas. Changes made by Senate committees reflect the chairs’ policy priorities, concerns raised by some Republican senators and the need to ensure compliance with the Senate’s Byrd Rule. Dozens of provisions were initially struck from the bill over the past week during the Senate parliamentarian’s “Byrd Bath,” but many were revised and ultimately approved for inclusion. Provisions that violate the Byrd rule could be considered but would be required to meet a 60-vote threshold for approval, not the simple majority otherwise required for reconciliation measures.

Once amendment votes are completed, which is expected to occur sometime on the morning of July 1, the Senate will vote on the final passage of the bill. The final bill must then be sent back to the House for approval before it can be delivered to President Trump for his signature. Republican leadership continues to push for final passage by the president’s July 4 deadline. First, the House must either accept the revised Senate bill or move to resolve differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions.

To see the tracker, please click here.

THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE VOTE-A-RAMA ON OBBBA IN THE SENATE. THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT ARE NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT OR IF YOU NEED LEGAL ADVICE AS TO AN ISSUE, PLEASE CONTACT THE ATTORNEYS LISTED OR YOUR REGULAR BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK, LLP ATTORNEY. THIS COMMUNICATION MAY BE CONSIDERED ADVERTISING IN SOME JURISDICTIONS.