The U.S. House of Representatives early Thursday cleared a crucial procedural hurdle for former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending proposal, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” following intense behind-the-scenes negotiations among Republicans.
The motion to proceed passed narrowly, 219 to 213, after several holdout GOP lawmakers reversed their initial opposition. The bill, which supports Trump’s top campaign priorities, is now set for a final House vote later in the day.
The legislation includes provisions to increase military spending, extend the 2017 tax cuts, and fund a large-scale deportation programme. It allocates $4.5 trillion for these purposes, but is projected to add $3.4 trillion to the U.S. national deficit over the next decade. Notably, it contains the most significant cuts to the Medicaid health programme since its inception in the 1960s.
The House initially passed the bill in May. It then went to the Senate, where it narrowly passed on Tuesday by a single vote. The version returned to the House includes amendments that push the legislation further to the political right, prompting renewed debate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) managed to bring the bill to the floor after hours of talks with conservatives who had threatened to block it. Of the five Republicans who had initially opposed the procedural motion, four eventually changed their votes, allowing the bill to advance.
Democrats remain uniformly opposed. Speaking alongside fellow Democrats on the Capitol steps on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said, “All Democrats will vote 'no,' and they only need to flip four Republicans to prevent the bill from passing.”
Jeffries criticised vulnerable Republicans from swing districts, including Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, asking why they would support legislation with such deep social cuts. “They’re literally ripping food out of the mouths of children, veterans, and seniors,” he said earlier this week.
The 887-page bill includes new work requirements of 80 hours per month for many Medicaid recipients and expands similar mandates within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP). States would also be required to bear greater costs for food aid initiatives.
Democrats warned that such measures could result in Americans losing access to essential healthcare and nutrition support. “This will cost lives,” Jeffries stated.
A major portion of the bill focuses on making permanent the Trump-era tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts.
According to the Tax Policy Center, there is a probability that this bill might offer tax relief across income groups, although benefits would be unevenly distributed. The lowest income group would receive around $150 in annual tax savings, while middle earners would get approximately $1,750. Those in the highest bracket could see reductions of nearly $11,000.
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