UPDATE: House Passes Trump's Massive Plan for Tax Breaks and Spending Cuts
UPDATE:
House Republicans have narrowly voted to give final approval to President Trump’s big plan for tax breaks and spending cuts.
Republicans raced the clock and battled through countless setbacks to deliver Trump's second-term, signature policy package on Thursday before their self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.
GOP leaders worked overnight even as Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) did his best to delay the final vote with an eight-hour, record-breaking, filibuster-style speech against the bill.
In the end, the 800-plus page measure passed 218-214, sending the package with trillions in tax breaks and more than a trillion dollars in spending cuts to the president's desk.
Opponents had opposed the measure as fiscally irresponsible and harmful to the poor, while supporters argued it was a good step toward boosting the economy and helping middle-class families with tax breaks.
EARLIER REPORT:
Senate Republicans had narrowly passed President Trump’s big bill on Tuesday, but only after Vice President JD Vance was able to cast the tie-breaking vote when the legislative body was locked in a 50-50 tie.
Republicans hold 53 votes to the Democrats' 47 in the Senate, but after a turbulent overnight session, three Republicans voted against the measure that President Trump dubbed the "Big, Beautiful Bill."
The three Republican senators – Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky – joined Democrats in opposing the bill.
Senate Republicans were divided over concerns about changes to Medicaid on one hand and a desire for deeper spending cuts on the other hand. Some cautioned that the bill could leave millions of people without Medicaid health coverage, while conservatives expressed concern that steeper cuts are needed to battle deficit spending that has been out of control for decades. Sen. Paul opposed the bill because he rejects the idea of raising America's debt limit by another $5 trillion.
Trump had warned that if the bill doesn't pass, taxes will go way up for many Americans. He also declared, “I don’t want to go too crazy with cuts... I don’t like cuts.”
After the Senate officially passed the bill, it went back to the House for final approval.
Speaker Mike Johnson had vowed to send it to Trump's desk by July Fourth despite battles with House conservatives after the Senate made changes to Medicaid spending.
An analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the package would increase the federal deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade.
