How does ‘vote-a-rama’ work? What to know as Senate smashes record on Trump bill

The U.S. Senate made history by conducting its longest-ever “vote-a-rama” session on the Republican Party’s budget resolution, known as the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

The marathon voting spree lasted more than one day and featured a record 45 consecutive roll calls.

“I know people are weary,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said during the session, according to ABC News. “But at the end of the day, we want to get this done so that this country is safer and stronger and more prosperous, not only for today but for future generations of Americans.”

How does a vote-a-rama work? And how does this unprecedented session compare to past years? Here is what to know.

How does vote-a-rama work?

A vote-a-rama — sometimes referred to as a “vote-a-thon” — is a unique deliberative period that takes place at the end of a budget resolution process.

After debate on a spending bill ends, senators have the opportunity to introduce as many amendments as they want, each of which are voted on in order, according to Senate records.

Since there is no limit on the number of amendments allowed, this procedure — which has its origins in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 — can be extremely lengthy, lasting many hours or even late into the night.

Senators are prohibited from eating on the floor during the proceedings, though they do not have to stay on the floor for the entire process, according to USA Today.

“Everyone is usually exhausted during the vote-a-rama, which comes near the end of an arduous and usually conflict-ridden legislative battle,” Keith Hennessey, a former Senate staffer who claims to have coined the phrase, told the Congressional Institute, a nonprofit.

Record-breaking vote-a-rama

This latest vote-a-rama began June 30 and continued late into the morning July 1, spanning more than 24 hours, according to CNBC.

A total of 45 separate votes were held, breaking the previous record of 44 votes set in 2008, according to the outlet.

According to Senate records, there have been 45 vote-a-ramas throughout history, with the first taking place in 1980. They have averaged 24.4 votes per session.

Of the amendments put forward in the latest session, some were substantive while others were purely political, according to CNN.

Democrats offered up additions related to Medicaid, food stamps and other social safety-net programs.

When asked if Democrats would stop pushing new amendments, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said there was a strategy at play.

“Why would we want to stop offering amendments when they show the contrast between the parties?” the New York Democrat told Politico. “We want to do as many amendments as we can.”

Republicans proposed their fair share of amendments as well.

In the early hours of July 1, the chamber voted to adopt a provision by Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, that would prohibit federal funding for unemployment benefits for those earning $1 million or more, according to CNN.

The Senate also voted 99-1 to adopt an amendment removing language from the bill that would have banned states from regulating artificial intelligence for 10 years.

Around 4 a.m. July 1, Thune told reporters the chamber was “close” to wrapping up, according to Politico.

Hours later, the vote-a-rama finally came to a close, and the Senate voted 50-50 to pass the “Big Beautiful Bill,” with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote, according to the outlet.

The House must now review and approve the newly revised version before it can be sent to President Donald Trump.

“The House will work quickly to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill that enacts President Trump’s full America First agenda by the Fourth of July,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement. “The American people gave us a clear mandate, and after four years of Democrat failure, we intend to deliver without delay.”

Democrats were less enthusiastic about the bill’s passage.

“One single GOP Senator could have stopped this abomination,” Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, wrote on X. “Saved millions of parents from watching their child go hungry. Saved the lives destroyed when Medicaid disappears. They will all live forever with the horror of this bill.”