Budget bill faces rocky road ahead

Divisions grow as US Senate debates amendments ahead of July 4 deadline

The US Senate debated amendments to the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" on Monday, part of a tense showdown as a July 4 deadline approaches, amid a deep bipartisan rift and growing divisions within the Republican Party. A narrow House vote weeks earlier pushed President Donald Trump's flagship second-term legislation into a sharply divided Senate.

The expansive bill, blending extensions of the 2017 tax cuts with steep slashes to social programs and fresh funds for a border wall, faces a rocky road ahead. Yet, the legislative struggle is only part of the picture. Hanging over every debate is Trump's separate push for a 10 percent universal tariff announced in April, due to take effect on July 9, delivering a double blow of economic uncertainty that has left allies, industries and Wall Street concerned.

The future of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" in the Senate hangs by a thread. It barely passed a crucial procedural vote on Saturday with a 51-49 tally, thanks to Vice-President JD Vance's vote. Majority Leader John Thune is working to steer the package forward, with backers like Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith promoting its pledge of " $1,300 a year for a family of four".