Senate Republicans scrambling to pass tax-and-spend bill by Trump deadline

Clearing an important procedural hurdle, the Senate voted 51 to 49 to open debate on the legislation

The Republican-controlled US Senate advanced president Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill in a key procedural vote late on Saturday, raising the odds that lawmakers will be able to pass his big, beautiful bill" in the coming days.

The measure, Trump's top legislative goal, passed its first procedural hurdle in a 51 to 49 vote, with two Republican senators voting against it. There was still work to do for the bill to actually gain passage in the Senate, which might not happen until about Monday.