Deep Dive
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. In a rare Saturday session, a vote to begin debate on President Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill is underway as Republican senators try to find enough votes to pass the legislation. They already cut a series of deals with Republicans who are unhappy with the bill, but they can only afford to lose three votes. There's still no fiscal breakdown from congressional watchdogs either, so the full cost of the bill isn't known.
Democrats are against it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Many Republican senators have admitted they're not happy with this bill. One said it will take away health care from working people. And yet there's still a yes on this bill. If Republican senators are not happy with this bill because they know how badly it hurts their constituency...
They should vote no. Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised it. We have before us today a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver legislation to create a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America. The GOP is trying to pass it by Trump's self-imposed July 4th deadline.
President Trump won a victory in the Supreme Court yesterday when the court held that a single district court ruling on his order to end birthright citizenship cannot be applied to the entire country. Empire's Anna Isaacs has more. The justices did not rule on the merits of the order, which declares that children born in the U.S. to parents without legal status or on a temporary visa are not entitled to automatic citizenship. That order is still blocked for at least the next 30 days.
After that, the order could go into effect in the states that have not challenged it. That means the rules for citizenship could differ state by state, which critics warn will lead to chaos and confusion. The Supreme Court has asked the lower courts to reconsider their broad rulings. In the meantime, there are also class action lawsuits in the works.
The case's central question, whether denying birthright citizenship is constitutional, may come before the high court as soon as next term. Anna Isaacs, NPR News, Washington. Hong Kong's last remaining political opposition party is dissolving itself right before the fifth anniversary of a sweeping national security law.
Empire's Emily Fang reports the law has made most political dissent nearly impossible. The League of Social Democrats is one of the largest opposition parties that took a more radical approach to demanding rights like direct elections for Hong Kong's chief executive and protests against rising wealth inequality.
They'd won seats in Hong Kong's legislature in previous elections. And after the national security law was imposed in 2020, much of what the party did fell into the broad categories of activities considered subversive under the law. But unlike other parties, they did not immediately disband. However, this weekend they say they will dissolve after facing serious pressure from Beijing. The party's vice chair was just released from prison, and the party's chair remains imprisoned on charges related to their political work.
Emily Fang, NPR News. This is NPR News. This message comes from Carrier, committed to providing climate and energy products and services to help enhance lives. More information is at Carrier.com. Carrier, for the world we share.