Donald Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” just cleared a major hurdle—squeaking through the House by a single vote in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The massive budget package includes billions in tax cuts, more military spending, tighter Medicaid rules, and extra money for border security. It now heads to the Senate, where a fight is expected.
“This is a historic moment,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said after the vote.
The bill is more than 1,000 pages long and includes around $4.9 trillion in tax breaks. It passed 215-214 after weeks of intense backroom negotiations. Every Democrat voted no. Two Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio—also broke ranks.
Massie didn’t hold back. “We’re not rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic tonight,” he said. “We’re putting coal in the boiler and setting a course for the iceberg.”
The bill calls for deep budget cuts and would impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients. That’s set off alarms for moderate Senate Republicans like Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Josh Hawley, who have concerns about stripping healthcare from vulnerable Americans.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled the bill won’t pass without changes. “The Senate will have its imprint on it,” he said. He’s pushing to make some of the tax cuts permanent.
The Senate has a 53-47 Republican majority and will vote under special rules that allow them to pass the bill with a simple majority. Debate is limited to 20 hours.
Still, even with the advantage, Senate Republicans need almost every vote.
The deadline is July 4. Expect a bumpy road ahead.
