President Donald Trump hailed the Senate’s narrow passage of his sweeping domestic policy agenda on Tuesday, describing the result “music to my ears.” The news came amid a roundtable meeting at Florida’s newly opened and contentious migrant detention center, unofficially referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Trump learned of the news during the event, responding with apparent excitement. “Wow, music to my ears,” he told them, The Guardian quoted. “I was also curious about how we’re doing, because I know this is primetime it shows that I care about you,” he said to the audience.
The policy package was approved in a close 51-50 Senate vote, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. Complimenting his vice president’s work, Trump said, “He’s doing a good job.”
In spite of some opposition among Republicans, Trump was sure the bill would overcome the next hurdle in the House. “It speaks volumes that there’s something for everybody… It’s an excellent bill,” he said. “I think it will go very well in the House. In fact, I think it will be easier in the House than it was in the Senate.”
The Senate session that ran overnight took longer than 24 hours as lawmakers voted and debated several amendments. Republican leaders finally gained the needed backing by tabling a broad catch-all amendment, also approved by a 51-50 vote.
Not all Republican members supported the bill, though. Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Susan Collins of Maine voted with all 47 Democrats against the version passed.
Nicknamed the “big, beautiful bill” by Trump, the bill now returns to the House. Speaker Mike Johnson is facing pressure to get it approved ahead of the July 4 deadline imposed by the president.