The U.S. Senate has passed President Trump's massive tax and spending package. Vice President J.D. Vance ultimately gave the deciding vote. Critics fear for the nation's finances. Experts expect an additional mountain of debt of several trillion US dollars.

A key tax and spending bill pushed by US President Donald Trump has cleared a major hurdle in the US Congress. The Senate approved the proposal, dubbed"One Big Beautiful Bill," by a razor-thin majority at noon (local time) after a marathon all-night session.

The deciding factor was US Vice President J.D. Vance, who, in his role as President of the Senate, can cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie.

Although the House of Representatives had already approved the bill in an earlier version, the Senate introduced amendments, meaning the bill must now be passed again by the other chamber of Congress.

Only then can it be presented to the president for signature. The Republicans' goal is to get the package to Trump's desk before July 4th – American Independence Day.

A core element of the law is the permanent extension of tax breaks from Trump's first term. These are to be financed, among other things, through cuts in social benefits – a point that has met with fierce criticism from Democrats, who believe the law primarily favors the wealthy at the expense of the poor.

But there are also reservations within their own ranks: Fiscal conservative Republicans complain that the law doesn't go far enough in terms of spending cuts and threatens to further increase the budget deficit. Independent congressional budget experts estimate that Trump's plans could increase the US debt mountain by an additional $3.3 trillion within ten years.

Trump himself has been praising the law for weeks and has gradually increased the pressure on his party colleagues to complete the legislative process quickly.