House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Speaking at a press conference held at the Capitol in Washington on May 6, 2025. ROD LAMKEY/AP Closed subtitles
WASHINGTON - Republicans lifted massive tax cuts and border security plans from key committees during a rare Sunday night vote as the Deficit Hawks blocked the measure’s deficit two days ago, allowing it to move forward citing what they call progress in negotiations on what they call a cut in package spending.
Shortly before the meeting, Speaker Mike Johnson met with Republican lawmakers and told reporters that some changes had been agreed, but he did not provide specific details. He described them as "just a few minor modifications. It's not a big deal."
Democrats on the panel urged more details. But Rep. Jodey Arrington, chairman of the House Budget Committee, said the bill is still under negotiation.
"The deliberations continue," Arlington said. "They will continue into this week and I'm doubting until we put this big and beautiful bill on the floor of the house."
Four conservatives who have impacted the bill on the current voting deficit have expressed concerns about this in order to make progress with a 17-16 vote.
There is more negotiation, but Johnson hopes to put the bills on the House of Representatives by the end of this week.
“This is the tool of the task the American people have given us in the last election,” he said on Fox News Sunday.
Republicans first tried to bring the bill out of the House Budget Committee last week, with the Deficit Eagles joining Democratic lawmakers to vote against reporting the measure to the entire House.
Republicans criticizing the measure pointed out that the bill's new spending and tax cuts were loaded in the bill, while measures to offset costs were revoked. They are seeking to speed up new job requirements that Republicans hope to develop for sound Medicaid participants. These requirements cannot be initiated until 2029 based on current bills.
"We are writing checks, we can't cash out, and our children will pay the price," said Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the committee. "Something needs to change, or you won't get my support."
Johnson said the start date of the job requirement is intended to give states time to “re-tune their systems” and “make sure all new laws and all new laws and all new safeguards we put in are actually enforceable.”
Roy joined the House of Representatives on Friday. Rep. Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania converted his vote to "No" in the procedural step to reconsider it later.
After the vote on Sunday, Roy tweeted on X that the bill would “push Medicaid job requirements and reduce the availability of future subsidies for the Green New Scam,” a tax break for green energy for the Reduction Act. But he also warned that more changes were needed, "the bill has not reached this moment yet."
Norman noted that the country's credit rating has been recently downgraded to make a steeper reduction argument.
"We have a lot of work to do," Norman said. "We are excited about what we have done. We want to move forward with the bill."
The massive legislative package has a range of existing tax cuts approved by Trump in the first semester and has added the president's temporary newly approved existing income tax relief for the 2024 campaign, which includes temporary new taxes on tips, overtime pay and auto loan payments. The measure also proposes substantial expenditures on border security and defense.
The responsible Federal Budget Committee is a group of nonpartisan fiscal regulators, and estimates that the House bill is shaping that debt has increased by about $3.3 trillion over the next decade.
Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the measure, which Republicans labeled as “a big and beautiful bill.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. It was called "a big and beautiful betrayal" at a hearing Friday.
Rep. Jim Cleburn (DM.C. But there is a problem when the balance behind workers and women. That’s what’s happening here.”
Johnson is not only trying to address the concerns of the deficit eagle in his party. He also faces pressure from centralists who will be cautiously focused on proposed changes to Medicaid, food assistance programs and clean energy tax credits. Republican lawmakers from New York and elsewhere also demand a large number of state and local tax breaks.
For now, the bill proposes to increase the current $10,000 cap and local tax deductions to $30,000, with joint filings with a maximum income of $400,000 per year.
Rep. Nick Lalota, one of New York lawmakers, said they proposed a single file deduction of $62,000 and a co-claimer deduction of $62,000.
If the bill passes the house this week and then moves to the Senate, Republican lawmakers are also focusing on change, which could make the ultimate pass of the house even more difficult.
"The parcels we send will be very carefully negotiated and balanced, and we hope they won't modify them too much, because that will ensure quick passage," Johnson said.