The Trump admin has done it again. They’ve forced Congress to hand him a huge win.
Because President Trump just won a high-stakes chess match against the D.C. Swamp.
Trump’s “Big, Beautiful” Bill Clears House, Heads to President’s Desk
The House of Representatives voted 216 to 213 on Thursday to send President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and immigration bill to his desk, marking a major legislative victory for the administration. The vote followed an intense push by Speaker Mike Johnson, who navigated a marathon overnight session and persuaded conservative holdouts to back the legislation.
The bill, described by Trump as “big, beautiful,” passed with minimal Republican defections despite a razor-thin 220 to 212 GOP majority. Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania voted against the measure, citing concerns over its deficit impact and Medicaid reforms. “It wasn’t beautiful enough for me to vote for it,” Massie told reporters after casting his “no” vote, echoing his opposition to the initial House-passed version.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries mounted a historic resistance, delivering an eight-hour speech on the House floor—the longest in the chamber’s history—to oppose the bill. Speaker Johnson responded sharply, saying, “It takes a lot longer to explain a lie than to tell the truth,” during a speech before the final vote.
Johnson’s leadership proved pivotal, as he held firm against conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus who initially resisted the Senate-amended bill over deficit concerns. After intense lobbying, the fiscal hawks relented, swayed by Trump’s assurances to strictly enforce the phase-down of solar and wind tax credits. The specifics of other White House commitments to secure their votes were not disclosed.
The House declined to alter the Senate’s version of the bill, aligning with the administration’s urgency to meet Trump’s July 4 deadline. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise credited the success to unwavering resolve. “Every time it looked like it might die, we just didn’t give anybody that chance to let the bill go down,” Scalise told reporters. “We never moved a deadline.”
The legislation represents the culmination of 15 months of Congressional Republican efforts to craft a budget reconciliation bill. Despite multiple setbacks, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune steered the measure through their chambers, capitalizing on slim majorities to deliver on Trump’s agenda.
Johnson emphasized the administration’s role in flipping holdouts, noting, “The president helped answer questions. We had Cabinet secretaries involved, and experts in all the fields, and I think they [holdouts] got their questions answered.” The speaker’s team worked tirelessly, with Johnson lobbying holdouts through Wednesday and into Thursday’s early hours.
A critical procedural vote at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday set the stage for the bill’s advancement. Despite threats from the House Freedom Caucus to derail the rule, Johnson called their bluff, keeping the vote open for six hours as his team and the White House secured support. The rule passed around 3:30 a.m., with Fitzpatrick as the sole Republican dissenter.
Every House Democrat voted against both the procedural rule and the final bill, detailing deep partisan divides. Johnson, however, framed the process as a triumph of legislative grit. “This is exactly how I think the framers intended for it to work,” he told reporters before the procedural vote. “We’re going to deliver the big, beautiful bill, the President’s America First agenda, and we’re going to do right by the American people.”
Trump, often dubbed “the closer” by congressional allies for his ability to sway reluctant Republicans, played a direct role in the bill’s passage. After conservative holdouts hesitated Wednesday evening, Trump took to Truth Social, writing, “Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy. What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!” Within hours, the holdouts backed the procedural vote and later supported final passage.
The 870-page bill encapsulates key Trump priorities, including a permanent extension of his 2017 tax cuts, the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime pay, and a child tax credit increase to $2,200. It also allocates hundreds of billions for border security and defense while cutting mandatory spending by over $1.5 trillion, including nearly $1 trillion in reduced Medicaid growth over a decade.
The bill’s passage marks a significant milestone for the Trump administration, delivering on campaign promises central to its America First platform. Congressional Republicans hailed the vote as proof of their ability to govern effectively despite narrow margins and internal divisions.
Scalise dismissed calls to delay the vote, warning that procrastination could have stalled the bill indefinitely. “We could have done that 100 times, and we’d be here till December and probably still not have a bill,” he said.
The legislation now awaits Trump’s signature, with the administration signaling its intent to enact the measure swiftly. The bill’s passage reinforces the president’s influence within the GOP, as his direct engagement helped secure the votes needed to push the measure through.
As the House adjourned, Johnson expressed confidence in the outcome, emphasizing the bill’s alignment with Trump’s vision. “We feel very good about where we are, and we’re moving forward,” he said, framing the victory as a step toward fulfilling the administration’s domestic policy goals.
