Republicans in the House of Representatives advanced President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill early Thursday morning, pushing it toward a final vote and appearing to overcome internal party concerns about its steep cost.
After a day of behind-closed-doors negotiations at both the Capitol and the White House, lawmakers voted 219-213 around 3:30 a.m. (0730 GMT) to clear the final procedural hurdle needed to begin debate. A final vote on the bill was expected around 5:30 a.m.
On Wednesday, a previous procedural vote was held open for seven hours—giving Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson time to rally support from hesitant Republicans. Johnson expressed optimism after the day’s deliberations, calling them “long and productive,” and credited Trump with personally calling holdouts through the early hours of Thursday.
“There couldn’t be a more engaged and involved president,” Johnson told reporters.
The Senate narrowly approved the bill on Tuesday, after heated debate over its projected $3.4 trillion addition to the national debt—currently at $36.2 trillion—and controversial $900 million cuts to Medicaid, a program that provides healthcare for low-income Americans.
Democrats Stand United in Opposition
With just a 220-212 majority in the House, Republicans can afford no more than three defections to pass the bill. Democrats remain firmly opposed, criticizing the legislation as benefiting the wealthy while slashing vital services for average Americans. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill could lead to nearly 12 million people losing their health insurance.
“This bill is catastrophic. It’s not policy—it’s punishment,” said Representative Jim McGovern during the floor debate.
Although internal divisions have plagued Republican ranks in recent years, the party has largely remained aligned behind Trump since his return to office in January. Any amendments made by the House would require another round of Senate approval, making it difficult to meet the administration’s July 4 deadline.
The legislation includes most of Trump’s key domestic priorities: extending his 2017 tax cuts, scaling back health and food aid programs, ramping up immigration enforcement, eliminating several green energy incentives, and raising the debt ceiling by $5 trillion to avoid a looming default.
Some Republicans have expressed unease over the Medicaid reductions, prompting the Senate to allocate additional funding for rural hospitals in a bid to soften the blow.
