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Trump signs his controversial Big Beautiful Bill into law as he celebrates July 4 with family
Donald Trump signs his signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts at the White House on Friday in Washington, surrounded by members of Congress. AP
Commemorating the 249th year of independence, US President Donald Trump has signed his sweeping spending package, famously known as ' Big Beautiful Bill'. Trump made the bill into law on Friday during a Fourth of July picnic at the White House, after it was passed in both the US House of Representatives and the Senate.
The bill is deemed as controversial because it significantly cuts back on federal safety-net programs in increases funding for aggressive immigration enforcement. Former 'First Buddy' and Tesla CEO Elon Musk was also not a fan of the bill since it slashes subsidies on Electric Vehicles.
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During the Fourth of July picnic, Trump was seen gloating about the passing of the bill in both chambers of the US Congress. 'It's the most popular bill ever signed in the history of the country,' Trump said, while standing next to his wife, Melania Trump. 'What we've done is put everything into one bill. We've never had anything like that before.'
This is a developing story.
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Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India faces a Russia dilemma
India may again find itself in an uncomfortable diplomatic fix. US Senator Lindsey Graham is slated to introduce a bill that seeks to impose a 500 per cent tariff rate on American imports from countries that continue to buy products from Russia. He claims to have the support of 84 co-sponsors and the backing of the US President Donald Trump. If passed, India's diplomacy will be put to a stress test once again. It is likely to also trigger a debate around the strategic utility of India's relationship with Russia. Even if the bill fails to sail through, Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India in the coming months will probably set off similar discussions. Practitioners and strategic analysts are divided on the issue. Russophiles have argued that the India-Russia relationship is rooted in history and has stood the test of time. The genesis of this thought lies in India's experiences with the Soviet Union during the Cold War years, with the India-Pakistan war of 1971 being the watershed moment in the friendship. That event created substantial affinity towards the Soviet Union (later Russia) among the Indian public and political elite, while concurrently generating deep antipathy and cynicism towards the US-led West. The Soviet Union also supported India through the sale of arms at a time when the West (primarily the US and the UK) would openly arm Pakistan with sophisticated and advanced weapons while turning down India's requests. Further, they argue the Soviet Union was India's sole trusted partner with a veto in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), particularly when the West raked up issues pertaining to Jammu & Kashmir. As per this school of thought, the experience of history demonstrates Russia's reliability and creates an obligation for India to support it. 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They endeavour to absolve India of any moral obligation by alluding to the latter's historically ambiguous and even contrary position on matters related to Indian interests vis-à-vis China. Moreover, they highlight, and rightly so, that in the Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow is an aggressor that has violated Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty in a blatant disregard for international law. And thus, Russia does not deserve India's moral support in its unjust war. In addition, they point to the deepening strategic partnership between Russia and China as threatening India's security interests. This school also views Russia as a declining power that can do very little to augment India's comprehensive national power. On the contrary, Russia's expansionist tendencies have an adverse impact on India's relationship with the US at a time when its interests align far more closely with the West, owing to the changing geopolitical realities. 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Mercedes + UAE Golden Visa now a cheaper combo than just car deal in India
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18 minutes ago
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Did China Attempt To Ruin Rafale Jets Reputation Using Embassies? Report Says...
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