Senate kicks off vote-a-rama on ‘big, beautiful bill’ as GOP scrambles to meet 4 July deadline
The Senate resumed its final debate on the “big, beautiful bill” this morning after a marathon weekend of adjusting legislation to fit parliamentarian rulings and appease particular senators.
During the lengthy vote-a-rama, senators will be able to offer an unlimited number of amendments related to the enormous proposed legislation. Democrats will be at the heart of this, seeking to amend the huge bill that will enact Trump’s domestic agenda.
I’ll bring you any key developments here.
Key events
Leavitt says Trump wroteto Fed chair Jerome Powell urging him to lower interest rates.
Leavitt displays a copy of Trump’s handwritten notes to Powell on a piece of paper showing the interest rates charged by more than two dozen countries.
Trump believes interest rates should be lowered to about 1%, she says.
Leavitt confirms that Donald Trump will travel tomorrow to the opening of the new – and highly controversial – immigrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades.
White House press briefing
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is briefing reporters now. I’ll bring you all the key lines here.
Trump says interest rate should be 1% or less
Donald Trump has said that the United States’ interest rate should be 1% or less, adding that Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and members of the Fed board of governors have failed to do their jobs.
He wrote on Truth Social:
If they were doing their job properly, our country would be saving trillions of dollars in interest cost. We should be paying 1% Interest, or better!
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city immigration policies – NBC News
The Trump administration has sued the city of Los Angeles over its immigration policies, claiming that the city’s law discriminates against federal law enforcement by treating them differently to other law enforcement authorities, NBC News reports.
Filed in the central district of California, the lawsuit notes that Donald Trump “campaigned and won the presidential election on a platform of deporting the millions of illegal immigrants the previous administration permitted, through its open borders policy, to enter the country unlawfully”. It claims that the city’s law and policies obstruct the enforcement of immigration laws.
Attorney general Pam Bondi said in a statement:
Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles. Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level — it ends under President Trump.
It comes weeks after protests over the administration’s highly aggressive and hostile deportation agenda exploded in Los Angeles after Trump took the extraordinary decision to deploy the national guard and active US marines to the city. The anti-Ice protesters – along with city mayor Karen Bass and state governor Gavin Newsom – have subsequently become key targets for Trump and his allies.
Rachel Leingang
Democrats plan to capitalize on the retirements of two Republicans in what they see as winnable areas.
Don Bacon, the Republican who represents Nebraska’s second district, announced he won’t run again on Monday. Thom Tillis, North Carolina’s senator who has opposed Trump’s budget bill, said on Sunday that he won’t be running next year.
Jane Kleeb, the chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said on a party call today that Democrats there would continue to organize across party lines in the district, which has seen close races that Bacon has edged out. The party will also invest in rural organizing and has already engaged with organizers to target the rural areas of the district where Democrats have historically struggled.
“Now that that seat is open, there’s no question that we’re going to be able to send a Democratic official to Congress representing the second congressional district,” she said.
On North Carolina, Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the state is one of the top prospects for Democrats in 2026, and Tillis’ retirement makes it even more of a priority.
“If you look at the population growth, the demographic shifts there, as well as the electoral trends, North Carolina is certainly one of our best opportunities,” he said. “And you know, it was even if Tom Tillis hadn’t stepped down, he is very vulnerable. I think now we have an excellent opportunity to win that seat.”
US revokes visas for Bob Vylan after music duo’s anti-IDF chants at Glastonbury
The United States has revoked visas for members of Britain’s Bob Vylan punk-rap duo after they led anti-IDF chants during their set at the Glastonbury music festival over the weekend that the state department and the BBC, which broadcast the event, said were antisemitic.
“The @StateDept has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau said in a post on X.
Earlier today, the British broadcaster said it regretted not stopping its livestream of Saturday’s event, which included on-stage chants of “death, death to the IDF,” a reference to the Israel Defense Forces, and “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free”.
In Israel that phrase is often taken as a call for its destruction and a denial of its right to exist. On the other hand, many dispute that characterization, saying it simply reflects a deeply held desire for a state in which the Palestinian people can live in their homeland as free and equal citizens.
Bob Vylan, known for mixing grime and punk rock, tackles a range of issues including racism, homophobia and the class divide in their songs and has previously voiced support for Palestine.
Its lead vocalist, who goes by the stage name Bobby Vylan, appeared to refer to the weekend performance in a post on Instagram, writing:
I said what I said.
Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place.
The state department did not immediately give more details as to the names of those who had visas revoked and what kind of visas they were.
Bob Vylan is scheduled to play some concerts in the US in November.
Here’s my colleague Michael Savage’s explainer on the controversy:
Trump appeals ruling blocking executive order against law firm Perkins Coie
Donald Trump’s administration has appealed a federal judge’s decision to strike down an executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie over its past legal work for Hillary Clinton and others.
The justice department filed a notice of appeal to the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit challenging the 2 May ruling by US district judge Beryl Howell.
The appeal could give one of the country’s most influential courts its first chance to weigh the president’s orders singling out law firms, which the justice department has argued fall within his authority.
Three other judges in Washington federal court have rejected executive orders against law firms WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Susman Godfrey. The justice department has not yet filed appeal notices in those cases.
Trump in February launched a pressure campaign against law firms he perceived as aligned against him and the interests of his administration. His executive order against Perkins Coie accused the firm of taking part in an effort to “steal” the 2016 election for Clinton.
The order, issued in March, sought to strip government contracts from the law firm’s clients and to restrict attorneys at the firm from entering federal buildings.
The administration’s executive orders against WilmerHale, Jenner and Susman Godfrey contained similar provisions.
Perkins Coie’s lawsuit, like the cases from rival firms, said the executive order violated US constitutional protections for speech and other measures, and was designed to intimidate lawyers from representing clients Trump might disfavor.
Howell agreed, rebuking the president in a strongly worded 102-page ruling.
“Settling personal vendettas by targeting a disliked business or individual for punitive government action is not a legitimate use of the powers of the US government or an American president,” wrote Howell, an Obama appointee.
Republican-appointed US district judges John Bates and Richard Leon also ruled against the Trump administration in the cases brought by Jenner and WilmerHale, respectively. Democratic-appointed US district judge Loren AliKhan ruled similarly in the case brought by Susman Godfrey.
Nine other firms have pledged nearly $1bn in free legal services and made other concessions in settling with the White House to avoid being targeted by Trump.
Rachel Leingang
Democrats announced “organizing summer” on a call today, saying it will be engaging volunteers earlier to build power for the midterm elections and focusing on state and local races.
Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the party would start an “all-out blitz to build Democratic power across battleground Senate, House and gubernatorial maps nationwide, to empower communities and to bring new voters into the fold to stand up to Trump and Republicans attacks”.
This earlier engagement will entail “showing up in person at the community rec center, the county fair, the sports stadiums and concert venues, while staying on the cutting edge of digital organizing,” Martin said.
Martin said the program is a “significant seven-figure-plus investment”. The party will be targeting 35 competitive congressional districts in the key 2025-26 battleground states. It will entail recruiting and training new leaders in communities that the party wants to organize, he said.
Jane Kleeb, president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, said investments in state parties will make up 20% of the DNC budget, up from 8%. Almost $1m every month will be going out to state parties for these organizing efforts, she said.
The party will also start partisan voter registration programs – a practice that in recent years has often been done largely by third-party nonpartisan groups – to tell voters about what it means to be a Democrat.
The hope is to build on the organic opposition that’s growing against the Trump administration and to continue informing people on what’s included in Trump’s budget plan.
“Whether it’s a book club or a sporting event, we have a responsibility to make sure working families know who’s responsible for raising prices, health care shortages, closing nursing homes and shuttering hospitals,” said Democratic Party of Virginia chair Lamont Bagby. “And we feel confident that voters will reject the Republicans agenda, but we have to put the work in now so Virginia knows who is responsible on election day.”
Iranian-affiliated hackers may target US companies and critical infrastructure operators, particularly defense organizations with holdings or relationships with Israeli research and defense firms, according to an advisory from US government officials on Monday.
The FBI, National Security Agency, the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) and the Department of Homeland Security’s civilian cybersecurity defense wing said in a statement issued alongside the advisory, seen by Reuters, that while there are no indications of a coordinated Iranian-linked malicious cyber campaign so far, organizations should ensure their defenses are up to date.
“Despite a declared ceasefire and ongoing negotiations towards a permanent solution, Iranian-affiliated cyber actors and hacktivist groups may still conduct malicious cyber activity,” the agencies said in the advisory.
Cybersecurity researchers and defenders in Israel and the US have so far seen little Iranian-linked cyber activity of consequence in the wake of the war launched by Israel on 13 June, followed by US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on 22 June.
Iranian state-sponsored hackers are known to exploit existing vulnerabilities in unpatched or outdated software and compromise internet-connected accounts and devices that use default or weak passwords, as well as work with ransomware operators to encrypt, steal and leak sensitive information, the agencies said on Monday.
In November 2023, hackers said by the US government to be affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards hacked equipment located in water and wastewater treatment systems in multiple states. The attacks targeted an Israeli-made device and came shortly after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Trump to visit controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ migrant detention facility in Florida, says DeSantis
Trump is planning to visit the new immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades, according to governor Ron DeSantis.
“When the president comes tomorrow, he’s going to be able to see,” DeSantis told reporters. He added that “I think by tomorrow, it’ll be ready for business.”
The Florida governor said he spoke with Trump over the weekend. He also said the site obtained approval from the Department of Homeland Security.
The facility, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” has drawn protests over its potential impact on the local ecosystem and criticism that Trump is trying to send a cruel message to migrants. Some Native American leaders have also opposed construction, saying the land is sacred.
The detention facility is being built on an isolated airstrip about 50 miles west of Miami, and it could house 5,000 detainees. The surrounding swampland is filled with mosquitos, pythons and alligators.
Former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg is calling for Americans to speak up about Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
He wrote on X: “If there was ever a time to call your Senator, this is it.
“Voting has begun on the GOP plan to cut off health care for working-class Americans and slash taxes for the wealthiest. This bill would kick millions off their health insurance, and thousands will even lose their lives – unless we stop it in its tracks.
“Some Republicans are breaking ranks, showing it’s not too late. Time to speak up!”
Today’s Senate session opened with Idaho’s Republican senators addressing a shooting in the state that left two firefighters dead yesterday.
Democratic senators from the neighboring state of Washington stood up in support of their colleagues.
“I too just want to stand and join in our colleagues from Idaho with our deep sorrow for everyone in those impacted communities,” said Democratic senator Patty Murray of Washington.
Two firefighters were killed and another was badly injured after they were ambushed and shot while responding to a wildfire near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The gunman was found dead after Sunday’s attack with a weapon nearby. Investigators say the gunman acted alone.
The US Senate’s proposed cuts to clean energy subsidies in its version of Trump’s tax and spending bill have drawn criticism from business and labor groups since they were unveiled over the weekend, with some arguing the moves will raise power prices and kill jobs.
The pushback, which includes backlash from Trump ally and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, comes as senators started voting on a potentially long list of amendments to the bill, giving renewable energy advocates on both sides of the political spectrum a last window to push for changes.
“Taxing energy production is never good policy, whether oil & gas or, in this case, renewables,” said Neil Bradley, policy director of the US Chamber of Commerce, in a post on X over the weekend. “Electricity demand is set to see enormous growth & this tax will increase prices. It should be removed.”
“This would be incredibly destructive to America!” Musk posted on X, saying the cuts could endanger the development of energy-hungry artificial intelligence technology, among other things.
Trump has said he intends to maximize US energy production, with a focus on fossil fuels, in part to ensure the power industry can supply the AI industry’s growth. But he has also promised to wipe out subsidies for renewables.
The Senate bill would roll back incentives for wind, solar, batteries and other clean energy technologies created by President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, and add a new tax on these projects if they cannot prove their products are made without Chinese parts.
In fact, NPR reported that Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said late last night that trade talks with the US had resumed after Canada rescinded its plan to tax US technology firms.
Carney and Donald Trump spoke on the phone on Sunday, and Carney’s office said they agreed to resume negotiations.
“Today’s announcement will support a resumption of negotiations toward the July 21, 2025, timeline set out at this month’s G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis,” Carney said in a statement.
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