The voting ended 51–49 late on Saturday, early morning Swedish time.
All Democrats voted against. But the proposal's different parts have become a contentious issue even among Republicans. Two Republican senators, Thom Tillis and Rand Paul, joined the Democratic line, reports AP.
Now, a debate of up to 20 hours awaits on what is called the "big, beautiful bill”.
Trump threatened – in vain – before the vote to make it difficult for Tillis to be re-elected as senator if he did not change his mind.
Afterwards, Trump also gave a kick to Rand Paul – who occasionally goes against the party line.
”What's wrong with the guy?” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Investments in the military
The budget proposal contains investments in the military, Trump's "golden" air defense, border surveillance and deportations. A large part also deals with cementing tax cuts, which are left from Trump's first term as president, which would otherwise expire in December.
To compensate for tax cuts and new costs, cuts will be made in government programs, such as the health insurance Medicaid and food stamps, as well as climate initiatives.
Some Republicans, including Thom Tillis, are skeptical of cutting programs aimed at the poor. Others are critical of a proposed increase in the debt ceiling and would rather see even larger cuts.
Musk: "Completely insane"
Another critic is Elon Musk, who recently left his role as an advisor in the White House and head of the efficiency agency Doge.
”The latest bill proposal to the Senate will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause enormous strategic damage to our country”, he writes on X.
Musk refers, among other things, to cuts in support for green industries.
”Completely insane and destructive. It gives subsidies to industries from the past while seriously damaging the industries of the future”, writes the Tesla and Space X entrepreneur, who also calls it a "political suicide" for the Republicans as a party.
The version of the budget that is on the table was made public late on Friday.
Requires reading aloud
Democrat Chuck Schumer has demanded that the 940-page document be read aloud in the Senate.
”The Republicans do not want to tell the Americans what is in the proposal”, he writes on X.
If the proposal gets the green light in the Senate, it will be sent back to the House of Representatives, before the president can sign it.
