The U.S. Senate has moved forward with President Donald Trump’s extensive legislative package, known as the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” after overcoming a delay tactic by Senate Democrats. On Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) invoked a rarely used procedure that forced clerks to read the entire 940-page bill aloud, a process that lasted nearly 16 hours into Sunday. Schumer defended the move, claiming Republicans hadn’t read the bill and needed to be held accountable.

With the bill read in full, the Senate has now entered a 20-hour debate period evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. While Republicans hold a 53–47 majority, internal divisions remain. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) voted against the bill in the procedural vote, citing issues with Medicaid provisions. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) also demanded revisions to the Medicaid provider tax rate before supporting final passage.

Some Republicans, particularly fiscal conservatives, are pushing for adjustments to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), which affects federal Medicaid funding to states. Negotiations were led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Vice President JD Vance, aimed at gaining support from holdouts concerned about government spending.

President Trump praised the Senate’s advancement of the bill following a four-hour vote session. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), who initially opposed the bill, changed his vote after consultations with Trump’s economic team, calling the legislation a “first step toward fiscal sustainability.”

The final Senate vote on the bill has not yet been scheduled, but debate and amendments are expected to continue in the coming days.