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Trump's marquee bill passes Senate as feud with Musk roars back to life
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The United States Senate passed Donald Trump's marquee tax and spending bill, bringing it close to becoming law, as the president's feud with Elon Musk exploded again over the world's richest man's antipathy toward raising the debt ceiling.
Three Republican senators broke from their party to oppose the One Big Beautiful Bill, requiring Vice President J.D. Vance to cast a deciding vote and break the 50-50 tie on the Senate floor.
The omnibus bill advances major planks of Trump's agenda, including about $US4.5 trillion ($6.9 trillion) worth of tax cuts – most of which are extensions of income tax cuts from his first term, which were due to expire at the end of the year.
It also includes spending on defence and immigration enforcement, and cuts to healthcare programs such as Medicaid, which the Trump administration describes as savings attributable to eliminating fraud and waste.
It must now return to the House of Representatives, where the Republicans also hold a slim majority, and if passed will go to Trump's desk for assent.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Hamas ready for ceasefire but it must end war in Gaza
Hamas suggests it's open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel but is stopping short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has increased pressure on Israel and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. Trump said the 60 days would be used to work towards ending the war, something Israel says it will not accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could become an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was "ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement". Hamas was "ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war". A Hamas delegation is expected to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal. Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks have faltered repeatedly over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas has said it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will agree to end the war only if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks on an end to the war, but Israel was not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. It was not clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. Israel has yet to comment publicly on Trump's announcement. On Monday, Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top US officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he said. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would include the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza's civilian populace. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 56,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The war has left the Palestinian territory in ruins and has sparked a humanitarian crisis, pushing hundreds of thousands of people towards hunger. Hamas suggests it's open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel but is stopping short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has increased pressure on Israel and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. Trump said the 60 days would be used to work towards ending the war, something Israel says it will not accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could become an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was "ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement". Hamas was "ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war". A Hamas delegation is expected to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal. Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks have faltered repeatedly over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas has said it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will agree to end the war only if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks on an end to the war, but Israel was not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. It was not clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. Israel has yet to comment publicly on Trump's announcement. On Monday, Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top US officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he said. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would include the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza's civilian populace. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 56,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The war has left the Palestinian territory in ruins and has sparked a humanitarian crisis, pushing hundreds of thousands of people towards hunger. Hamas suggests it's open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel but is stopping short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has increased pressure on Israel and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. Trump said the 60 days would be used to work towards ending the war, something Israel says it will not accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could become an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was "ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement". Hamas was "ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war". A Hamas delegation is expected to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal. Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks have faltered repeatedly over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas has said it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will agree to end the war only if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks on an end to the war, but Israel was not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. It was not clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. Israel has yet to comment publicly on Trump's announcement. On Monday, Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top US officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he said. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would include the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza's civilian populace. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 56,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The war has left the Palestinian territory in ruins and has sparked a humanitarian crisis, pushing hundreds of thousands of people towards hunger. Hamas suggests it's open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel but is stopping short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has increased pressure on Israel and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. Trump said the 60 days would be used to work towards ending the war, something Israel says it will not accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could become an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was "ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement". Hamas was "ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war". A Hamas delegation is expected to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal. Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks have faltered repeatedly over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas has said it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will agree to end the war only if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks on an end to the war, but Israel was not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. It was not clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. Israel has yet to comment publicly on Trump's announcement. On Monday, Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top US officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he said. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would include the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza's civilian populace. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 56,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The war has left the Palestinian territory in ruins and has sparked a humanitarian crisis, pushing hundreds of thousands of people towards hunger.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘Trigger warning': CNN delivers ‘sobering news' about Trump's historic approval
Sky News host Rita Panahi discusses how Donald Trump became the 'most popular president' with Republicans ever – five months into his presidency. 'CNN had some sobering news for their ever-diminishing audience,' Ms Panahi said. 'This needed a trigger warning for the lefty snowflakes because there is no way you can spin this data – it is historic.'
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Democrats built their entire identity around ‘hating' Trump
BlazeTV host and Texas Family Project VP Sara Gonzales says the Democratic Party have 'themselves to thank' for Donald Trump's historic approval among Republicans. 'We have never seen a Democrat Party that has made their entire identity just hating another person, regardless of the policy,' Ms Gonzales told Sky News host Rita Panahi. 'You have Donald Trump that just got elected in November, in large part due to his immigration policy, due to his promise to deport illegal criminals. 'What are the Democrats doing? They are fighting him every step of the way.'
