The Republican-controlled House will attempt to pass President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending bill within hours before dawn Thursday, and the party divisions have split in how profound spending cuts have been.
The bill cleared important procedural barriers to the House Wednesday night when a gatekeeper committee approved the measure and voted on the floor for passing through the means of passage that took place within hours. Midnight Shortly before midnight in Washington, the entire House reconsidered what Trump called “big and beautiful Bill”, opening the floor for debate and a series of procedural votes.
Republicans have profound differences over the bill, which will extend Trump's 2017 signature tax cuts, create new breaks for tilted income and auto loans, end many green energy subsidies, and increase spending on military and immigration enforcement.
This will pay for these changes by tightening eligibility for food and health plans that serve millions of low-income Americans.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will increase U.S. 3.8tr debt by 36.2tr over the next decade.
The House Rules Committee voted 8-4 and advanced the bill late Wednesday after a marathon session lasted nearly 22 hours. Republican leaders later arranged two votes, one of which began the debate, the second vote passed the bill, and then before Thursday's sunrise.
The House Pass will hold weeks of debate in the Republican-led Senate.
Minority Hardliners, angry that the bill does not include more spending cuts, met with Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, a day after Trump visited the Capitol, which failed to unify a narrow 220-212 majority.
Johnson expressed confidence that the bill would pass the house. "I believe we will land on this plane," he told reporters.
Dusty Johnson, a representative who led the caucus of the Hall Street, said he believed a spokesperson had reached a deal that could be passed.
"The spokesperson has been working with the broad cross-department of the conference," he told reporters. "We have everything to expect, the speaker has everything to expect, and we will get there."
Credit rating company Moody's last week stripped the U.S. government of its top credit rating, citing the country's growing debt. U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday, amid investors' concerns about rising debt.
The Medicaid health program for low-income families has proven to be a major point, with the Fiscal Hawk pushing for layoffs to partially offset the cost of the bill’s tax component, which moderate Republicans will hurt voters they will need in the mid-2026 Congress.
The Rules Committee approved an overall amendment plan that included deals between Johnson and various Republicans.
The revision includes work requirements for the implementation of Medicaid by the end of 2026, two years earlier than the previous plan. It also punishes countries that expand Medicaid in the future and raises state and local taxes that can be deducted from federal income tax.
The amendment also exempts gun silencers from registration requirements under the National Gun Act and removes changes required by Georgia Representative Andrew Clyde, eliminating a $200 gun accessories tax.
Democrats oppose legislation.
Jim McGovern, the top Democratic representative of the House Rules Committee, said: “Republicans are removing millions of Americans from health care and (food) benefits to fund tax cuts, which will help billionaires.”
"Cutting benefits means families will be hungry, farmers will suffer, and health care costs will increase," he said.
Trump visited Republican lawmakers at the Capitol on Tuesday, trying to convince him to keep what he called a "big and beautiful bill."
Johnson has little room for error on the House floor, as a minority of Republicans’ “no” votes could undermine the bill.
Republican lawmakers said they did not believe the predictions of nonpartisan analysts and accused Moody of deliberately timed downgrades last Friday to prevent the bill from passing.
Legislators must take action to address debt restrictions this summer, or it could trigger devastating defaults.
"Apart from the deficit, the bill is ugly because it is ultimately a betrayal of our contracts with the American people, especially the babies and our working people," said Democratic representative Gwen Moore.