Trump, lawmakers react after ‘big, beautiful bill’ clears Senate hurdle
Lawmakers from across the aisle are reacting to President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” passing a key Senate vote on Saturday night. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who flipped his vote from a ‘no’ to ‘yes’ in dramatic fashion, said in a statement that the mammoth bill is a “necessary first step” to fiscal sustainability and cleaning up the mess left by the Biden administration. “Biden and the Democrats left behind enormous messes that we are trying to clean up – an open border, wars, and massive deficits,” Johnson said. “After working for weeks with President Trump and his highly capable economic team, I am convinced that he views this as a necessary first step and will support my efforts to help put America on a path to fiscal sustainability.” The 51-49 vote went along party lines, with only Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., voting against unlocking a marathon 20-hour debate on the bill. SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ THROUGH KEY TEST VOTE Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was among the Democrats against what he called a “radical” bill. “Senate Republicans are scrambling to pass a radical bill, released to the public in the dead of night, praying the American people don’t realize what’s in it,” Schumer said in a statement. “If Senate Republicans won’t tell the American people what’s in this bill, then Democrats are going to force this chamber to read it from start to finish.” The bill will not immediately be debated thanks to Senate Democrats’ plan to force the reading of the entire, 940-page legislative behemoth on the Senate floor. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., posted a video on her X account in which she said that Democrats were holding the floor “all night” and “we need to use every single second we can to fight back against Trump’s bill.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., however, said he was “proud” to work with Trump on the bill and “put our nation on a path to balance the budget after years of Democrats’ reckless spending.” “We will deliver on President Trump’s agenda and continue Making America Great Again!” Scott wrote. Trump has said that he wants the bill, which must pass the Senate before being sent to the House for a vote, on his desk by July 4. TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FACES REPUBLICAN FAMILY FEUD AS SENATE REVEALS ITS FINAL TEXT Trump called the Senate vote a “great victory” and directly praised Sens. Johnson, Scott, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., in a post on his Truth Social platform. “They, along with all of the other Republican Patriots who voted for the Bill, are people who truly love our Country!” Trump wrote. “As President of the USA, I am proud of them all, and look forward to working with them to GROW OUR ECONOMY, REDUCE WASTEFUL SPENDING, SECURE OUR BORDER, FIGHT FOR OUR MILITARY/VETS, ENSURE THAT OUR MEDICAID SYSTEM HELPS THOSE WHO TRULY NEED IT, PROTECT OUR SECOND AMENDMENT, AND SO MUCH MORE. GOD BLESS AMERICA &, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” In a second post, Trump wrote, “VERY PROUD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TONIGHT. GOD BLESS YOU ALL! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, released a statement calling the legislation “significant,” and “soon we will vote to send it over to the House and on to President Trump’s desk to become law.” “Senate Republicans are one step closer to delivering on President Trump’s agenda by advancing the One Big Beautiful Bill, which will avoid a massive tax increase on Texas families, secure our southern border, remove burdensome taxes on Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights, and chart our country on a path toward fiscal sanity after years of frivolous spending in Washington under Joe Biden,” Cornyn said. Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
New Jersey lawmaker proposes legislation renaming Delaware Bay to ‘The Bay of New Jersey’
A New Jersey Republican has proposed legislation to change the Delaware Bay to “The Bay of New Jersey,” appearing to be inspired by President Donald Trump’s executive order changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The measure, introduced Thursday by GOP state Sen. Michael Testa, would order state agencies to use “The Bay of New Jersey” in publications, signage, websites and materials to reflect the new designation and notify relevant federal entities, NJ.com reported. “I look at the robust fishing industry – commercial fishing industry and recreational industry of the State of New Jersey,” he told the outlet. “I think that the fact that we have to call the bay that we fish in the Delaware Bay – they’ve had a claim to that long enough.” Testa represents Cape May County, which the bay borders. MEXICO SUES GOOGLE FOR CHANGING ‘GULF OF MEXICO’ TO ‘GULF OF AMERICA’ AFTER TRUMP’S ORDER “It’s time to Make New Jersey Great Again!” Testa wrote on X. The bay is a vital body of water for New Jersey tourism, commerce and travel that has had the name of its southern neighbor since 1610, according to the Delaware government’s website, and was named after the third baron de la Warr, Thomas West, who governed the Virginia colony. The proposed legislation comes after Trump signed an order in January renaming the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The body of water has shared borders between the U.S. and Mexico, and Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S. Last month, U.S. House Republicans passed the Gulf of America Act, marking the first step in codifying Trump’s order in the U.S. The legislation is now awaiting consideration in the Senate. GOOGLE MAPS, FAA OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE GULF OF AMERICA AFTER TRUMP DECLARATION: ‘ISN’T IT BEAUTIFUL?’ Trump’s order also prompted Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, to jokingly suggest amending the Long Island Sound to the “Connecticut Sound.” “While the maps are changing, here’s an idea,” Lamont posted on X in February, tagging New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul with an altered map with the sound renamed. Another bill Testa introduced this week seeks to reclaim a slice of land along Salem County’s shore claimed by Delaware in a decades-old border agreement with New Jersey, according to NJ.com.
Trump threatens to support a primary challenger against GOP senator for opposing ‘big, beautiful bill’
President Donald Trump on Saturday said he is looking for a GOP candidate to mount a primary challenge against Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., after the lawmaker announced he would not support the president’s “big, beautiful bill.” “Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against ‘Senator Thom’ Tillis,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America,” he continued. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Tillis, who is up for re-election in 2026, came out against Trump’s spending bill earlier on Saturday over concerns about deep cuts to Medicaid. KEY GOP SENATOR DEFECTS ON CRUCIAL VOTE, IMPERILING TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ IN NARROW MAJORITY The senator vowed not to support the measure through a procedural hurdle needed to kick off a marathon of debate and amendment voting that would eventually lead to a vote on the measure’s final passage. As he was leaving the Senate GOP’s closed-door lunch on Saturday, the North Carolina lawmaker said he has a “great relationship” with his colleagues, but that he could not support the colossal bill. “We just have a disagreement,” he said. “And, you know, my colleagues have done the analysis, and they’re comfortable with the impact on their states. I respect their choice. It’s not a good impact in my state, so I’m not going to vote on the motion to proceed.” The Senate cleared the hurdle late Saturday to start debate on the bill by a 51-49 vote. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was another Republican who joined Tillis in voting no. “Did Rand Paul Vote ‘NO’ again tonight? What’s wrong with this guy???” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Senate Republicans hold a slim 53-47 majority and can only afford to lose three votes. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said earlier that she would help advance the bill through the first step, but was leaning against voting to pass the bill’s final passage unless the legislation was “further changed.” Collins and other initial GOP holdouts, Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., voted to at least advance the legislation through the first key procedural hurdle. SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM THROUGH TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ THROUGH KEY TEST VOTE The latest version of the bill pushed back the provider rate crackdown by one year and also added another $25 billion for a rural hospital stabilization fund over the next five years. During a closed-door lunch earlier this week, Tillis reportedly warned that North Carolina could lose as much as $40 billion in Medicaid funding if the changes were codified. He is also planning to unveil further analysis on the impact of Medicaid cuts on his state that he said no one in the “administration or in this building” has been able to refute. “The president and I have talked, and I just told him that, ‘Look, if this works for the country, that’s great. And if my other colleagues have done extensive research and concluded it’s different in their states, I respect that,’” he said. “We just have a disagreement based on the implementation in our respective states.” Fox News’ Alex Miller contributed to this report.
Air India sees another mid-air scare as Chennai-bound flight returns to Mumbai due to THIS reason
An Air India flight from Mumbai to Chennai returned to its origin airport on Saturday, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed in a statement. “The crew of flight AI639 operating from Mumbai to Chennai on Friday, 27 June 2025, made a precautionary air-return to Mumbai,” the statement read.
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A day after Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee’s controversial remark on the gang-rape of a law student, party leader and MLA Madan Mitra on Saturday made a shocking comment regarding the same case. Read on to know more.
Train tickets to be costlier from July 1, know fares of AC, non-AC coaches, ‘fares will be raised in…’
Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna on Friday said train fares will be raised in stages without affecting the commuters. The minister also said that discussions for the changes are going on. July will see some major changes in tickets including Aadhar-based authentication.
Parag Jain, IPS officer who played key role in Operation Sindoor, appointed new RAW chief: Know all about his salary, perks and other allowances
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Drunk man on Dubai-Jaipur bound Air India Express flight misbehaves with crew, what happened next will leave you shocked
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Senate Republicans ram Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ through key test vote
Senate Republicans rammed President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” through a procedural hurdle after hours of tense negotiations that put the megabill’s fate into question. Speculation swirled whether Republicans would be satisfied by the latest edition of the mammoth bill, which was released just before the stroke of midnight Saturday morning. TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FACES REPUBLICAN FAMILY FEUD AS SENATE REVEALS ITS FINAL TEXT Nearly every Republican, except Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., all voted to unlock a marathon 20-hour debate on the bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., could only afford to lose three votes. Though successful, the 51-49 party line vote was not without drama. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., flipped his vote from a ‘no’ to ‘yes’ in dramatic fashion, as he and Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, made their way to the Senate floor accompanied by Vice President JD Vance. Vance was called in case he was needed for a tie-breaking vote, but only his negotiating services ended up being used. No lawmaker wanted to be the fourth and final decisive vote to kill the bill. Republican leadership kept the floor open for nearly four hours while negotiations, first on the Senate floor and then eventually in Thune’s office, continued. The bill won’t immediately be debated thanks to Senate Democrats’ plan to force the reading of the entire, 940-page legislative behemoth on the Senate floor – a move that could drain several hours and go deep into the night. The megabill’s fate, and whether it could pass its first test, was murky at best after senators met behind closed doors Friday, and even during another luncheon on Saturday. Lingering concerns in both chambers about Medicaid — specifically the Medicaid provider tax rate and the effect of direct payments to states — energy tax credits, the state and local tax (SALT) deduction and others proved to be pain points that threatened the bill’s survival. ANXIOUS REPUBLICANS TURN TO TRUMP AMID DIVISIONS OVER ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ However, changes were made at the last-minute to either sate holdouts or comply with the Senate rules. Indeed, the Senate parliamentarian stripped numerous items from the bill that had to be reworked. The Medicaid provider tax rate was kept largely the same, except its implementation date was moved back a year. Also included as a sweetener for lawmakers like Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and others was a $25 billion rural hospital stabilization fund over the next five years. Collins said that she would support the bill through the procedural hurdle, and noted that the rural hospital stabilization fund was a start, but whether she supports the bill on final passage remains to be seen. “If the bill is not further changed, I will be leaning against the bill, but I do believe this procedural vote to get on the bill so that people can offer amendments and debate it is appropriate,” Collins said. Tillis, who is also concerned about the changes to Medicaid and would like to see a return to the House GOP’s version, said that he would not vote in favor of the bill during final passage. GOP SENATOR CALLS FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN’S FIRING AFTER SERVING MEDICAID BLOW TO TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ The SALT deduction included in the House GOP’s version of the bill also survived, albeit the $40,000 cap will remain intact for five years. After that, the cap will revert to its current $10,000. Other sweeteners, like expanding nutrition benefit waivers to Alaska and a tax cut for whaling boat captains, were thrown in, too, to get moderates like Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on board with the bill. Lee announced that he withdrew his open lands sale provision, which proved a sticking point for lawmakers in Montana and Idaho. Still, Republicans who are not satisfied with the current state of the bill will use the forthcoming “vote-a-rama,” when lawmakers can offer an unlimited number of amendments, to try and change as much as they can before final passage. Democrats, however, will use the process to inflict as much pain as possible on Republicans. Once the amendment marathon concludes, which could be in the wee hours of Monday morning, lawmakers will move to a final vote to send the bill, which is an amendment to the House GOP’s version of the “big, beautiful bill,” back to the lower chamber. From there, it’s a dead sprint to get the package on the president’s desk by July 4. In a statement of administration policy obtained by Fox News Digital, Trump signaled that he would sign the bill. “President Trump is committed to keeping his promises,” the memo read. “And failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal.”
Chief Justice Roberts sounds alarm on dangerous rhetoric aimed at judges from politicians
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts warned Saturday of the dangers of politicians using heated rhetoric against judges. “It becomes wrapped up in the political dispute that a judge who’s doing his or her job is part of the problem,” Roberts said in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit, a gathering of judges and lawyers. “And the danger, of course, is somebody might pick up on that. And we have had, of course, serious threats of violence and murder of judges just simply for doing their work. So, I think the political people on both sides of the aisle need to keep that in mind.” Roberts didn’t name anyone but appeared to be referencing President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer when he said he’d felt compelled to speak out against rhetoric by Democrats and Republicans in the past. CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS DOUBLES DOWN ON DEFENSE OF COURTS AS SCOTUS GEARS UP TO HEAR KEY TRUMP CASES Trump has criticized judges many times over the years, including calling for the impeachment of a judge who ruled against a deportation policy earlier this year, referring to him as “radical left” and a “lunatic.” Roberts responded at the time, saying, “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.” In 2020, Roberts condemned Schumer for saying that Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch would “pay the price” regarding an abortion rights case during Trump’s first term. EX-SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANTHONY KENNEDY PLEADS FOR CIVIL POLITICAL DISCOURSE, WARNS, ‘DEMOCRACY IS AT RISK’ “You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Schumer said at a rally outside the Supreme Court at the time. “You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.” Schumer later said he was referring to the political price he believed Senate Republicans would pay, but he said, “I shouldn’t have used the words I did, but in no way was I making a threat. I never, never would do such a thing, and Leader McConnell knows that.” Roberts, at the time, said of Schumer, “Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All members of the court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In April, an armed man who was arrested outside of Kavanaugh’s home pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate the justice. Roberts’ remarks came after the Supreme Court issued the final decisions of its term, handing the Trump administration a win Friday by limiting judges’ ability to block his agenda through court orders. The Associated Press contributed to this report.