House Republicans narrowly pushed through President Donald Trump’s massive $4.5 trillion tax cut and spending overhaul on Thursday, delivering a hard-fought legislative victory just in time for the Fourth of July.
The final vote was 218–214, with two Republicans siding with all Democrats in opposition. The razor-thin margin capped weeks of internal party wrangling and last-minute lobbying by GOP leaders and Trump himself, who applied direct pressure to holdouts. In a dramatic show of resistance, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held the floor for more than eight hours overnight, setting a new record as he slammed what he called Trump’s “big ugly bill.”
“We have a big job to finish,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). “With one big beautiful bill, we are going to make this country stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before.”
The legislation—nicknamed the “One Big Beautiful Bill”—spans more than 800 pages and reflects Trump’s sweeping second-term agenda. It combines extensions of his 2017 tax cuts with significant new tax breaks and large reductions in social welfare spending. Democrats uniformly opposed the bill, criticizing it as a costly, regressive measure that favors the wealthy while gutting crucial safety nets.
What’s in the Bill?
At its core, the legislation makes permanent the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts and introduces new benefits, including tax deductions for tips, overtime pay, and up to $6,000 for older Americans earning under $75,000 annually.
It also allocates $350 billion toward national security, including the development of the so-called “Golden Dome” missile defense system, and funds Trump’s expanded deportation operations.
To help offset the revenue losses, the bill slashes $1.2 trillion from Medicaid and food assistance programs. It introduces stricter work requirements, even for parents and older individuals, and rolls back clean energy tax incentives.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would add $3.3 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade and leave nearly 12 million Americans without health coverage.
“This is the most sweeping set of conservative reforms in a generation,” said Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), chair of the House Budget Committee. “We’re delivering on our promises.”
Fierce Democratic Opposition
Democrats fiercely condemned the bill, calling it a “reverse Robin Hood” scheme that hands tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy at the expense of working families and vulnerable Americans.
“This isn’t a policy debate—it’s a moral failure,” Jeffries said during his marathon floor speech. “This chamber is now a crime scene. This bill goes after the health, safety, and dignity of the American people.”
Using his privilege as minority leader, Jeffries read aloud dozens of letters from constituents who rely on government programs targeted by the cuts. “We’re better than this,” he said.
A Rocky Road to Passage
The journey to passage was tumultuous. With slim majorities in both chambers, Republicans faced internal clashes over the bill’s sweeping scope and deep cuts. The Senate passed the measure earlier this week, with Vice President JD Vance breaking a 50–50 tie.
In the House, the GOP could afford only three defections. Speaker Johnson and Trump worked the phones throughout the night to secure the votes, knowing any delay would risk derailing the entire package.
For some Republicans, voting against the bill was politically risky. Others, despite misgivings about Medicaid cuts or ballooning debt, ultimately fell in line.
As tensions rose Wednesday, Trump took to Truth Social to vent his frustration:
“Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History and a Failed Economy. What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove???”
With this victory, Trump scores a major policy win that will define his second-term agenda—but at a significant political cost, with critics warning that millions of Americans may soon feel the consequences of the bill’s sweeping reforms.
