Senate Passes "Big Beautiful Bill" in dramatic 51-50 vote
After a record-breaking 24+ hour vote-a-rama, the Senate passed the Big Beautiful Bill on Tuesday morning in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
Three Republicans broke ranks – Senators Rand Paul, Thom Tillis, and Susan Collins voted against the bill, creating the dramatic tie that required the Vice President's intervention.
The marathon session set a Senate record with 45 votes over 24 hours, surpassing the previous 2008 record. Senators bundled up in blankets and hoodies as the session stretched through Monday night into Tuesday morning.
The House must now approve the Senate's version by July 4th – but significant changes from the House version have some Republicans already signaling opposition.
Here's What the SENATE Version Contains:
PERMANENT 100% Bonus Depreciation
Buy equipment, write it off. All of it. Year one. The Senate made this permanent – a huge win over the House version that had it phasing out in 2029. This is massive for anyone who invests in equipment, vehicles, or other business assets.
R&D Costs: Immediate Expensing Returns
You can deduct R&D costs in the year you spend them again, retroactive to 2024. No more spreading it over 5 years. The Senate appears to offer more permanence than the House's temporary extension through 2029.
Business Interest Deduction Back to EBITDA
Both chambers agreed to switch the business interest limitation back to EBITDA instead of EBIT. This means depreciation, amortization, and depletion come out of the calculation – allowing more interest deductions for leveraged businesses.
QBI Deduction: A Tale of Two Chambers
- Senate: Keeps it at 20% but makes it permanent with improved phase-in thresholds ($75k/$150k for joint filers)
- House: Wanted to boost it to 23%
- Both versions help more small businesses get the full deduction before limitations kick in
Estate Tax Exemption
Both versions preserve current estate tax exemption amounts – your wealth transfer planning stays on track.
The SALT Cap Standoff
This is the biggest sticking point:
- Senate: Maintains the $10,000 SALT cap (reportedly a "placeholder" for negotiations)
- House: Negotiated a $40,000 cap for couples earning under $500,000
- Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) has threatened to vote NO if the Senate number stands
- Senate adds new restrictions on Pass-Through Entity Tax (PTE) workarounds
MORE DEBT! The Fiscal Reality Check
- Debt Ceiling: Raised by $5 trillion (House wanted $4 trillion)
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CBO Estimates:
- Under current law: Adds $3.3 trillion to deficits over 10 years
- Under current policy: Adds $507 billion (assumes tax cuts would be extended anyway)
- Total debt impact with interest: Approximately $3.9 trillion
- Notable Opposition: Elon Musk warned any lawmaker voting yes "will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth"
Key Differences from the House Bill:
- Child Tax Credit: Senate trimmed to $2,200 vs. House's $2,500
- Standard Deduction: Senate makes expansion permanent; House only through 2028
- Senior Deduction: Senate boosts to $6,000 vs. House's $4,000 (for those over 65 earning under $75k)
- Debt Ceiling: Senate raises by $5 trillion vs. House's $4 trillion
- Medicaid Cuts: Senate version includes deeper cuts that worry House moderates
New Tax Breaks (With Limits):
- Tips & Overtime: Deductible up to $25,000 combined for workers under $150k (expires 2028)
- Car Loan Interest: Up to $10k/year for U.S.-assembled vehicles (phases out at higher incomes)
What Happens Next?
The House could vote as early as Wednesday, but Speaker Johnson can only lose 3 votes. Multiple factions are already balking:
- SALT-state Republicans demanding their $40k cap
- Fiscal hawks worried about the $3.3 trillion deficit impact
- Moderates concerned about Medicaid cuts
- At least 6 moderates reportedly planning to vote NO
If the House changes anything, it goes back to the Senate – and they're already on recess.
What Should You Do Now?
- Equipment Purchases: With permanent bonus depreciation likely, start planning major purchases immediately.
- R&D Documentation: Review all 2024 R&D activities for the retroactive deduction.
- Debt Structure: EBITDA-based interest limitations returning make additional leverage more attractive.
- Business Structure: Whether QBI stays at 20% or goes to 23%, ensure your structure maximizes the benefit.
- SALT Planning: Don’t count on the higher SALT cap. The Senate-House standoff could kill this provision entirely.
- Buy Bitcoin? Just kidding. Or am I? $37 Trillion Dollars of debt and growing! It would take more than 100 years to pay down our nation’s debt at $1 billion a day. With $5 trillion being added to the debt ceiling.
Bottom Line
We're closer than ever to major tax reform, but the 51-50 Senate vote and House opposition signal this isn't over. The marathon vote-a-rama that pushed senators to their limits may have been just the beginning of the drama.
The next 48 hours will determine whether businesses get the certainty they need or if we're headed for more negotiations.