Senator Fetterman Groans Over Holiday Delay as Senate Battles Through Trump’s Signature Bill

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania made no effort to hide his frustration Monday morning as the Senate trudged through a marathon voting session on a sprawling piece of legislation championed by President Donald Trump. With the Independence Day recess delayed and votes expected to stretch deep into the night, Fetterman voiced irritation that the process was cutting into his personal time.

“Oh my God, I just want to go home. I’ve already missed our entire trip to the beach,” he told reporters, exasperated by the drawn-out schedule.

Fetterman added that by the time the voting session wrapped up, his family’s beach vacation would already be over, and he’d have nothing to show for it but a stack of procedural votes. “There’s no drama,” he added. “The only real action is in the margins, with a few Republican holdouts keeping things interesting.”

Despite his open frustration, Fetterman ultimately voted against the measure, aligning with his party in opposition to the bill. He criticized the extended sessions, saying, “I don’t think it’s helpful or necessary to keep people here until some ungodly hour.”

Late Nights and Long Reads

The Senate chamber opened Monday with the first in a series of procedural votes on the nearly 1,000-page bill, beginning just after 9:30 a.m. Eastern. The legislative process, which involved countless amendments and negotiations, was expected to continue late into the evening, potentially spilling into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The legislation itself had undergone major revisions, with the updated text being released late Friday night—mere minutes before midnight. Senators were then called to the Capitol on Saturday for a late vote to move forward on the bill. That vote didn’t wrap up until around 11 p.m., leaving little rest for lawmakers or staff.

Capitol staffers spent the rest of Saturday night and much of Sunday poring through the legislation—an exhausting task that stretched more than 16 hours. Monday’s session picked up where the weekend left off, with senators grinding through amendment votes, all while the promised recess slipped further out of reach.

Colleague Pushes Back

Not all lawmakers were sympathetic to Fetterman’s complaints. One House member from Fetterman’s home state, Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, had strong words in response to the senator’s remarks.

“If you’re here, you’re lucky and privileged to be here,” Boyle said in an interview with The Bulwark. “You should want to be here. And if you don’t want to be here, maybe it’s time to leave.”

Boyle explained that while he respects the personal sacrifices that come with public service, this particular week held too much importance for distractions. “This week will determine whether millions of Americans keep their health care,” he said. “I explained that to my 11-year-old daughter—and she got it.”

He added that lawmakers need to be laser-focused on doing everything in their power to defeat the legislation. “There is no place I would rather be than here, right now,” he said. “That should be the attitude of every member of Congress.”

The Bill and the Name Battle

President Trump’s favored bill, which many supporters dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” was designed to deliver sweeping reforms and spending packages across multiple sectors. While it’s expected to pass in some form, it has faced resistance from across the aisle and even some within Trump’s own party.

Ironically, part of the delay that frustrated Fetterman and others was sparked by Democratic leadership. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer forced a procedural reading of the entire 940-page bill, which took up much of the weekend.

Then, in a somewhat symbolic move, Schumer challenged the bill’s official title. As the Senate was preparing to debate its contents, Schumer raised a point of order targeting the first few lines of the bill, which read, “SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act.’”

Schumer argued that the bill’s title violated rules laid out in the 1974 Congressional Budget Act—specifically a provision known as the Byrd Rule, which limits the scope of budget-related legislation. Senate presiding officer Pete Ricketts ultimately sustained the objection, resulting in the removal of the original title from the bill.

Tempers and Timing

While the legislative push continues, tempers are flaring in both parties. Lawmakers are eager to return home after their summer recess was delayed to accommodate the final stages of the bill. With hundreds of pages to dissect and more amendments on the way, the Capitol remains a hive of restless energy and mounting tension.

And for Fetterman? He may have voted against the bill, but his beach bag will stay packed for now.