How the Big Beautiful Bill became law: Late-night drama in the Senate

Published July 27, 2026 6:00am ET | Updated July 30, 2026 5:02pm ET



Senate Majority Leader John Thune was on the clock.

It was in the middle of the night, less than 72 hours before President Donald Trump’s July 4 deadline to sign the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. And Thune didn’t have the votes.

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