House Republicans expected to pass President Trump’s massive budget bill by July 4
After a vote that remained open for several hours as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., tried to convince five holdouts to advance President Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, House Republicans have cleared a key hurdle, setting the bill up for final passage ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline.
It is unclear what concessions Johnson made, if any, to secure the support of the few lawmakers who held up the vote. With just a narrow majority in the House, Republicans could only afford to lose three votes. The final tally was 219 to 213.
Johnson’s persistence allowed him and other Republican leaders to muster enough support to move the bill forward while navigating that slim majority and a slew of internal party divisions.
At the heart of the legislation is an extension of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. It would also end taxes on tips and overtime, at least temporarily, which was one of the big campaign promises Trump made.
The bill also includes new spending on defense and immigration enforcement, and it lifts the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion.
To pay for that, the bill cuts spending across a range of programs, most notably Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that provides health care for roughly 70 million low-income, elderly and disabled Americans.
Early estimates suggest around 11 million people could lose coverage under the GOP bill, and that’s one of the main reasons why negotiations around this bill were so contentious in both chambers.
Overall, the sprawling GOP bill — clocking in at nearly 1,000 pages — represents a dramatic realignment of the federal government’s role in American life, shifting resources from the social safety net and investments in clean energy, and reorienting them to finance trillions of dollars in new spending on tax cuts, immigration enforcement and national defense.
Up next, lawmakers will debate the bill on the floor. Once that’s done, they can proceed to a final vote.
That’s a process that could take several more hours, but assuming Republicans have the votes, they will have made good on their promises to have this bill to President Trump’s desk by Friday.
Even with its likely passage, the fight over this bill is far from over. Democrats have made clear they plan to make this legislation the centerpiece of their push to win back control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
How China, not the U.S., became the main climate solution story in 2025
The U.S. has become a "side character" in the global story of renewable energy, experts say. China dominates the sector, with positive implications for the climate and their economy.
Supreme Court to hear case that could vastly expand presidential powers
The Supreme Court hears arguments in a case about President Trump's firing of a Federal Trade Commissioner. At stake is a 90-year precedent limiting the president's power over independent agencies.
Republicans push high deductible plans and health savings accounts
A Republican call to give Americans cash instead of health insurance subsidies revives an old idea that has left millions with medical debt.
Zelenskyy heads to London for more Ukraine peace talks. Here’s what to know
The talks signal fresh support from European allies. But they follow stalled U.S. negotiations in Miami and comments from President Trump's son suggesting Washington is ready to pull back.
Tributes, not politics, play center stage as Trump hosts the Kennedy Center Honors
President Trump said he was closely involved with picking the honorees, and on Sunday he became the first president to host the Kennedy Center awards ceremony.
Thailand launches airstrikes along border with Cambodia as tensions reignite
Both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens.
