President Donald Trump signed into law a sweeping package of tax breaks and spending cuts on Friday, capping off an aggressive push by the White House and GOP leadership to deliver on one of the president’s top second-term priorities ahead of the Fourth of July.
The legislation, dubbed “One Big Beautiful Bill” by Trump, extends the 2017 tax cuts, slashes $1.2 trillion from Medicaid and food assistance programs, and boosts funding for immigration enforcement.
“This is going to turn our country into a rocket ship,” Trump declared. “It’s going to be really great.”
Despite strong Republican support, the bill remains one of the most controversial legislative moves of Trump’s presidency. It passed the House largely along party lines Thursday and scraped through the Senate with a single-vote margin after Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote. The narrow approval followed weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations and intense lobbying by Trump.
In the Senate, opposition from Republican Senator Thom Tillis—who later announced he won’t seek re-election—nearly derailed the bill. In the House, only two Republicans voted against it, including Kentucky’s Tom Massie, who is now facing political blowback from Trump-aligned groups.
Democrats have roundly condemned the legislation, describing it as a massive giveaway to the wealthy at the expense of working-class Americans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the House floor “a crime scene” during an 8-hour speech that delayed the bill’s passage.
“This bill targets the health, safety, and financial security of everyday Americans,” Jeffries said. “We want no part of it.”
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the package is expected to add $3.3 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade and could result in 11.8 million additional people losing health coverage.
The legislation also dismantles key pillars of the Obama and Biden administrations’ domestic agendas, including the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion and green energy tax credits introduced under Biden.
Still, Trump hailed the bill as a political and legislative triumph. Speaking at a kickoff event in Iowa for next year’s 250th Independence Day celebration, the president praised Republican lawmakers for their loyalty.
“What they did is incredible,” Trump said. “Democrats only voted against it because they hate Trump—but I hate them, too.”
With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the bill is likely to remain a focal point of political debate. Democrats have already announced plans for nationwide protests, ad campaigns, and voter outreach to highlight what they describe as the bill’s damaging effects on vulnerable Americans.
Back in Washington Friday morning, Trump insisted the legislation is “very popular,” despite mixed public opinion. A Washington Post/Ipsos poll found strong support for expanding the child tax credit and eliminating taxes on tipped income, but more divided views on imposing work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
As the ink dries on Trump’s most ambitious legislative project yet, both parties are preparing for a high-stakes battle over its long-term impact.
