--- title: The Republicans Who Voted Against the 'Big Beautiful Bill' description: Three Republican Senators joined Democrats in voting against President Donald Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday. canonical: https://time.com/7299324/trump-big-beautiful-bill-republican-senators/ author: Solcyré Burga article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-07-01T20:17:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T08:08:27.692Z article:section: Politics og:title: The Republicans Who Voted Against the 'Big Beautiful Bill' og:description: Three Republican Senators joined Democrats in voting against President Donald Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday. og:url: https://time.com/7299324/trump-big-beautiful-bill-republican-senators/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9e6c592a995abdce/6998c7ea83ec374998c7ab9c/GettyImages-2222943713.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Republican Lawmakers Work To Pass Trump's "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" On Capitol Hill og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Republicans Who Voted Against the 'Big Beautiful Bill' twitter:description: Three Republican Senators joined Democrats in voting against President Donald Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9e6c592a995abdce/6998c7ea83ec374998c7ab9c/GettyImages-2222943713.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:09 video:published: 2025-07-01 section: politics topics: Senate vote, tax cuts, spending bill, debt ceiling, Alaska subsidies, SNAP, health care cuts, parliamentarian rule, national debt, fiscal conservatism genre: news report, political reaction tones: critical, contentious, urgent, partisan emotions: anger (high), frustration (medium), pride (low) sentiment: negative audience: political news followers, voters, policy watchers, general news audience people: President Trump organizations: Biden administration, Republicans, Democrats, Senate, House, parliamentarian products: SNAP content_suitability: politics [00:00-02:09]; financial distress [01:33-01:53] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # The Three Republican Senators Who Voted Against Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c9b66e01-9989-421f-b082-5a6325e39a45&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Senators React to Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ Narrowly Passing [Watch (HLS stream): Senators React to Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ Narrowly Passing](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lwH7qRBI.m3u8) (2:09)  _Published 2025-07-01. In the end, Democrats were unable to stop Republicans from getting their tax-cuts-and-spending plan across the finish line on Tuesday. But, in conversations with strategists close to the Democratic leaders, they had a pretty clever consolation spin: this bill is the most hated piece of major legislation since at least 1990, and Republicans have no plan to fix that._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The video presents senators' reactions to the Republican tax-cuts-and-spending bill. A Republican voice frames it as delivering on promises to voters, while a dissenting senator objects to its debt impact and to provisions benefiting Alaska. Democrats criticize the bill's effects on SNAP, health care and taxes for billionaires, and describe an attempt to strike its title. The clips mix floor and hallway remarks without named speakers. ## Key points - A speaker says the bill moves the government in a different direction than the Biden administration, and frames it as delivering on promises made to voters in November. (00:00) - A senator says he offered to extend the debt ceiling for three months, about $500 billion, and would have considered voting for the bill if it were separated out or reduced. (00:17) - The same senator says Republicans chose to add more pork and subsidies for Alaska to secure a vote rather than deal with him on reducing the debt ceiling. (00:33) - A speaker argues the bill is much less conservative than it started out, adds much more to the debt, and is not fiscally conservative. (00:48) - A speaker says the cost is now hundreds of millions of dollars and not just Alaska because of the parliamentarian rule. (01:04) - A speaker claims the Republican theory is to give SNAP to people who don't deserve it, get a higher error rate, and thereby get two years off of the cuts. (01:18) - A speaker says Republicans passed the biggest tax break for billionaires ever seen, paid for by taking health care from millions and food from hungry kids. (01:33) - A speaker says she moved on the floor to strike the title, so the bill is now called just 'The Act,' and calls it 'the big ugly betrayal.' (01:53) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:17] Republican framing: promises made, promises kept. A speaker describes the bill as a historic change of direction that delivers on promises to voters. - [00:17 to 00:45] Debt ceiling offer and Alaska subsidies. A senator explains his debt ceiling proposal and criticizes added pork and subsidies for Alaska. - [00:45 to 01:04] Concerns over debt and House votes. A speaker argues the bill is less conservative and adds much more to the debt. - [01:04 to 01:33] Parliamentarian rule and SNAP error rates. Speakers discuss costs beyond Alaska and claim governors are incentivized to raise SNAP error rates. - [01:33 to 02:09] Democratic criticism and striking the title. A speaker attacks the bill's tax breaks and cuts, and describes striking its 'big, beautiful' title. ## Key quotes - [00:15] unnamed speaker: "promises made, promises kept." - [00:40] unnamed senator: "They chose to add more pork and subsidies for Alaska to secure that vote." - [00:57] unnamed speaker: "this is not a fiscally conservative bill." - [01:33] unnamed speaker: "In one fell swoop," - [02:02] unnamed speaker: "But it is really the big ugly betrayal." - [02:06] unnamed speaker: "And the American people know it." ## Questions this video answers - How does a Republican supporter frame the bill? [00:00] - What debt ceiling offer did one senator say he made? [00:17] - Why does one speaker say the bill is not fiscally conservative? [00:48] - What claim is made about SNAP error rates and cuts? [01:18] - What criticism do Democrats make of the bill's tax and health care effects? [01:33] - What happened to the bill's 'big, beautiful' title on the floor? [01:53] ## Content suitability - politics [00:00-02:09]: Partisan political debate over a major tax and spending bill, including criticism of Republicans and defense of the legislation. - financial distress [01:33-01:53]: Claims that the bill takes away health care from millions and food from hungry kids.  by [Solcyré Burga](https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/)  ## Solcyré Burga Reporter Jul 1, 2025 8:17 PM UTC In the end, Democrats were unable to stop Republicans from getting their tax-cuts-and-spending plan across the finish line on Tuesday. But, in conversations with strategists close to the Democratic leaders, they had a pretty clever consolation spin: this bill is the most hated piece of major legislation since at least 1990, and Republicans have no plan to fix that.  by [Solcyré Burga](https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/)  ## Solcyré Burga Reporter Jul 1, 2025 8:17 PM UTC Three Senators from President Donald Trump’s party joined Democrats in voting against his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which [narrowly passed](https://time.com/7299226/big-beautiful-bill-senate-trump-murkowski/) the upper chamber on Tuesday with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President J.D. Vance. The bill—a sweeping tax and spending package that includes additional money for [deportation efforts](https://time.com/7299360/big-beautiful-bill-trump-ice-immigration/), steep cuts to funding for [Medicaid](https://time.com/7298772/medicaid-big-beautiful-bill-health-insurance/), and tax exemptions for tips, among other major provisions—earned the votes of most Republican lawmakers amid pressure from Trump to pass the legislation by his July 4 deadline. It now returns to the House, which [passed](https://time.com/7287722/trump-big-beautiful-bill-house-rules-committee-floor-vote-republicans/) its own version in May. But the package has faced concerns from some Republicans over its proposed funding cuts to Medicaid, which serves more than 70 million Americans, and what it would mean for government spending. A report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicated that the legislation would add [more than $3.9 trillion](https://www.crfb.org/blogs/cbo-score-shows-senate-obbba-adds-over-39-trillion-debt) to the national debt, despite the White House’s assertions that it would reduce the deficit. Senators [Thom Tillis of North Carolina](https://time.com/7298637/thom-tillis-retirement-reelection-north-carolina-senator-trump-republican-obbb/), Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky ultimately broke ranks with their fellow Republicans in spite of Trump’s threats to [campaign against lawmakers who voted against the bill](https://time.com/7296692/thomas-massie-trump-mr-no-contrarian-obbb-iran-primary-campaign/). “I will always do what is in the best interest of North Carolina, even when that puts me at odds with my own party,” Tillis said in a Monday [statement](https://x.com/SenThomTillis/status/1939048002804728199). “I cannot support this bill in its current form. It would result in tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina, including our hospitals and rural communities.” Speaking to reporters on Tuesday outside of [Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ migrant detention center](https://time.com/7297505/florida-alligator-alcatraz-migrant-detention-center/), Trump said he believed the bill would pass the House with ease. Here are the three Senators that voted against the bill. ## Thom Tillis Sen. Tillis’s vote against the “Big Beautiful Bill” followed an impassioned floor speech on Sunday in which he spoke against the Medicaid cuts in the bill, which he said would affect hundreds of thousands of North Carolina residents. “What do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding’s not there anymore, guys? I think the people in the White House … advising the President are not telling him that the effect of this bill is to break a promise,” Tillis [said](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5376251-tillis-criticizes-trump-medicaid-bill/). The CBO found in a [report released Saturday](https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61534) that the legislation could cause nearly 12 million adults to lose health insurance over the next decade due to its reductions of hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid’s funding. Tillis said at the time that he would vote against the legislation unless his concerns were addressed. In a [statement](https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2025/6/tillis-statement-on-senate-reconciliation-vote) on Sunday, he again pointed to the cuts even as he praised other parts of the bill. “There is a lot for North Carolinians to love about the rest of the One Big Beautiful Bill, including extending historic funding for border security, and ending wasteful spending,” he said. “We can and must accomplish this without hurting our rural communities and hospitals.” Tillis’s opposition to the bill has not come without a cost. Trump threatened on Sunday to meet with other candidates who would primary Tillis in the upcoming Senate race and claimed in a Truth Social [post](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114767092507731112) that the Senator “has hurt the great people of North Carolina.” “Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER!” Trump said, before calling the Senator “worse than Rand ‘Fauci’ Paul!”, referencing U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who drew Trump and Republican’s ire amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to attack another critic of the legislation. Tillis announced his retirement that same day. “In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” Tillis said. “When people see independent thinking on the other side, they cheer. But when those very same people see independent thinking coming from their side, they scorn, ostracize, and even censure them.” **Read More:** [_What to Know About Senator Thom Tillis as Republican Trump Critic Announces Retirement_](https://time.com/7298637/thom-tillis-retirement-reelection-north-carolina-senator-trump-republican-obbb/) ## Susan Collins Sen. Collins similarly pointed to concerns about the Medicaid cuts in the bill as a driving force for her decision to vote against it. Some 400,000 Mainers depend on the health insurance program, according to the Senator. “I strongly support extending the tax relief for families and small businesses,” said Collins in a Tuesday [statement](https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-statement-on-the-senate-reconciliation-bill). “My vote against this bill stems primarily from the harmful impact it will have on Medicaid, affecting low-income families and rural health care providers like our hospitals and nursing homes.” While the bill includes a “special fund” proposed by Collins that would provide some financial support for rural hospitals, she said that inclusion was insufficient to offset the damages the legislation would impose on Medicaid. ## Rand Paul Sen. Paul also cast a “no” vote, citing concerns about how the bill would [increase the national deficit](https://time.com/7298982/musk-trump-big-beautiful-bill-debt-primary-republicans-america-party/), which currently [stands](https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/national-deficit/) at $1.36 trillion. Paul said Tuesday that he met with the Vice President and offered to vote for the bill if it included a “90% reduction in the debt ceiling.” “I offered my vote for fiscal sanity. Congress chose to sell out taxpayers instead. Only once the bill is released, we will know what the true price was,” Paul [wrote](https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1940083614345056294) on X after the vote. ## Transcript [00:00] This is a historic direction that we're moving [00:02] for President Trump and the American people that elected [00:04] us to to run the government in [00:06] a different direction than the Biden administration had put us in. [00:09] So in November, we heard loud and clear, [00:11] and this is delivering on those promises as a president Trump would say, [00:15] promises made, promises kept. [00:17] I told them all along that I would consider voting for it [00:19] if we separated out the debt ceiling or reduced it. [00:22] A couple of weeks ago, I offered to extend the debt ceiling for three months, [00:26] which is about $500 billion. [00:28] I offered that again, [00:29] and there was a time in which they had to make a decision, uh, [00:33] dealing with me and reducing the debt ceiling or giving, [00:36] uh, pork and subsidies to Alaska. [00:40] They chose to add more pork and subsidies for Alaska to secure that vote. [00:45] You talk to your house, colleagues. [00:46] Do you think there could be some that will vote against this? [00:48] I think they're going to look at it and see that it's [00:50] much less conservative than it started out to be, [00:53] and it's going to add much more to the debt. [00:55] And so I think without question, [00:57] this is not a fiscally conservative bill. [01:00] And if you're someone who thinks that debt is a problem, [01:02] I don't see how you could vote for this. [01:04] This is going to be hundreds of millions of dollars. [01:06] It's not just Alaska anymore because of the parliamentarian rule. [01:10] They have literally turned it all upside down. [01:12] And there's absolutely no doubt that governors, [01:14] if they want to save money for their states, [01:17] should start committing errors. [01:18] They should start giving Snap to people. [01:21] This is the Republican theory. [01:22] Give Snap to people that don't deserve it. [01:24] Get a higher error rate and then you get two years off of your cuts. [01:30] Just explain it any other way than that. [01:33] In one fell swoop, [01:35] Republicans passed the biggest tax break for billionaires ever seen, [01:40] paid for by ripping away health care from millions of people and [01:44] taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids. [01:49] This is not a big, [01:51] beautiful bill at all. [01:53] That's why I moved on the floor to strike the title. [01:58] It is now called The Act. [02:00] That's all it's called. [02:02] But it is really the big ugly betrayal. 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