Welcome to The Beat. I'm Ari Melboro. We begin with this breaking news.

Breaking news out of Washington where the United States Senate is debating what would be, as a factual matter, the largest change and cut to the modern safety net in our time.

President Trump's legislative agenda itself hangs in the balance. There are

things in here that people think are very bad, big cuts to health care. There are things that Trump says

are very good, but all of it drives through this budget process. We can see the Senate floor where

they have been having what they call a voterama. The final vote on the budget could be hours away.

There have been two defections already, So Republicans can actually only afford to lose a single

additional vote in this round on the budget with the Tedline of the holiday barreling towards

them at the end of the week. Democrats have been doing their version of resistance, however slow and grinding the process

is. This is not like what we've seen out in the country with no King's protests or even Senator

Cory Booker's dramatic long speech. This is the more dry aspect of the Senate, but still a place

where Democratic senators say they will use every tool and lever they have

while warning about what the bill would do.

When Donald Trump says this bill won't cut Medicaid, he's lying.

This is the most deeply immoral piece of legislation that I have ever voted on.

It's only a beautiful bill if you're a billionaire or a very wealthy person.

When he says this bill will grow the economy, he's lying. These Republicans are scared of a tweet

from Donald Trump. It's a horrible piece of legislation. People are fearful. When he says this is the

best thing Congress could pass for our country? He's lying.

Senator Schumer there, giving his version of an echo or rebuttal to what Donald Trump says.

Democrats say that this bill is not just a difference of views about how to manage the debt.

It grows the debt or what to do about health care. It pushes many Americans who currently have

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