One, Big Beautiful Bill 'Vote-a-rama': What you need to know

What you need to know about the One Big, Beautiful Bill Vote-a-Rama

-- Over the weekend, the GOP-controlled Senate narrowly cleared a procedural hurdle to allow debate to begin on H.R.1, The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. Under the rules of budget reconciliation, which allow the legislation to be passed with a simple majority vote, the bill is subject to unlimited floor amendments. This is a relatively rare process -- it only happens in the Senate and is known as a "vote-a-rama." The vote-a-rama for President Trump's massive budget reconciliation package was scheduled to begin Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

-- According to the U.S. Senate website, the origins of the term vote-a-rama remain vague. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it was used by Senate staff as early as 1992—the term gained public recognition in 1996. In May of that year, in the midst of the budget reconciliation process, Republican Whip Trent Lott (R-MS) referred to the rapid vote process as a "vote-a-rama" during Senate debate. The label stuck and is commonly used today, both in Senate debates and in news coverage.

-- Any senator can file any amendment and get a vote on it during the vote-a-rama. There have been at least 225 amendments filed on this bill. There is virtually zero chance that all amendments will be voted on. At some point -- often when members are getting tired and/or feel that they've made their point -- Republican and Democratic leadership will come to an agreement on which will be the final amendments Senators will consider.

-- While most of the amendments in vote-a-ramas are filed by members of the minority, hoping to force the majority into making politically difficult votes, there are also usually some amendments brought by members of the majority. That is also the case with this vote-a-rama. There are some GOP amendments that could result in even more significant cuts to Medicaid and could determine whether states can regulate AI in the next ten years.

-- Once the vote-a-rama is over, the bill, in its final form, will itself be brought up for a vote. If it passes, it will then go back to the House for, potentially, final passage and the president's signature.