• The US Senate voted 51-49 to advance Trump's economic package for debate.
• The bill proposes significant tax cuts and social program reductions, raising concerns among Democrats.
• Elon Musk criticized the bill, calling it "utterly insane and destructive."
• Senate Democrats are demanding a full reading of the 940-page bill before discussion.
• Republican senators face division over funding cuts, particularly to Medicaid.

The US Senate has taken a critical step towards advancing President Donald Trump's proposed "Big Beautiful Bill," which aims to implement sweeping tax cuts, increase military spending, and bolster border security. The motion to begin debate passed narrowly, 51-49, after a tense session where Vice President JD Vance played a pivotal role in negotiating with party holdouts. Notably, two Republican senators voted against the motion alongside all Senate Democrats, showcasing a rift within the Republican party itself, according to indiatimes and channelnewsasia.

The bill, which spans approximately 940 pages, has been described by critics as "hugely divisive" due to its proposed cuts to various social welfare programs, including Medicaid. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has argued that the bill disproportionately benefits the wealthy and harms lower-income Americans, further insisting that the legislation be read aloud in its entirety, a process expected to take up to 15 hours. This strategy aims to delay the debate, drawing strong responses from Republican leaders who are eager to pass the legislation before July 4, according to aljazeera and trtglobal.

The proposed spending package would reportedly add over $3 trillion to the national debt while including substantial tax relief projected to cost around $4.5 trillion over the next decade. As part of the contentious plan, Republicans are looking to make substantial cuts to programs like Medicaid, which could affect millions of low-income Americans, a situation highlighted by many critics as detrimental to healthcare access. The push for these cuts has garnered opposition even among some Republican senators, illustrating the internal conflict within the party regarding fiscal priorities, according to dawn and channelnewsasia.