The Senate has just passed its version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBB) in a vote that was so close that Vice President J.D. Vance had to step in and break the tie. The version of the bill that they passed does not include the anti-transgender health care provisions that were included in the House version of the bill, meaning that the bill may pass and be signed into law without further restricting access to gender-affirming care.Axios reports that the bill was passed earlier today with 50 votes from Republicans plus Vances tie-breaking vote. All Senate Democrats voted against the bill along with Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Susan Collins (R-ME). Related Dr. Oz is trying to take gender-affirming care coverage away from trans Medicaid recipients Trans kids from low-income families may not be able to access the health care because, Oz said, it might lead to sterilization. The House version of the bill that passed last monthincluded bans on Medicaid and CHIP paying for gender-affirming care for transgender people. The House version also banned policies sold in health care exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) from covering gender-affirming care. If passed, these measures will be devastating for transgender people who depend on these programs for health care and could force people to detransition. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The original Senate version of the BBB included those provisions, but they looked like they were going to make the bill harder to pass. Generally, the Senate requires a 60-vote majority to move legislation forward, which would have required some Democrats to support the bill. So Republicans decided to use the reconciliation process to pass the bill, which lowers the threshold to a simple majority, or 51 votes, but the bill has to be entirely about budgetary measures. The nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian ruled last week that the anti-trans measures werent budgetary in nature and, therefore, if they were kept in the bill, would require 60 votes to pass. Independent journalist Erin Reed reports that the anti-trans provisions were dropped at the last minute to keep the BBB moving forward under reconciliation and that Senate Republicans didnt even attempt to get a vote on the bill before dropping those provisions. Aleksandra at Transitics noticed the same thing in the final text of the Senate bill, and a cursory search of the bills text turns up no results for terms associated with the gender-affirming care coverage bans.The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years, mostly due to tax cuts. The bill will also force 12 million people off of Medicaid, according to the same groups estimates. Medicaid is a joint state-federal health care program for low-income individuals.Democrats denounced the bill. Today, I voted against rigging our tax code in favor of the biggest corporations and ultra-wealthy all on the backs of working families who are just trying to get by and want a fair shot at success, said out Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in a statement. Instead of standing up for these working families, my Republican colleagues jammed through a bill that guts Medicaid, kicks 17 million Americans off their health insurance, shutters rural hospitals, and takes food from families in need. And why? All to rig our already unfair tax code even more to help the rich get richer. I am disgusted. But, I am also fired up and ready. Ready to keep fighting alongside every Wisconsinite who believes we can do better to give hard-working families a fair shot and stop tilting the scales for the wealthy and well-connected. Its not the people in Washington with power; its the people across this country. The people who keep speaking up and speaking out, who are emailing and calling, who are marching in the streets, and who are telling their stories. This fight isnt over, and together, we can still beat this thing.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.