Congressional Republicans voted 218-214 to pass President Trump’s controversial $4.5 trillion budget bill Thursday after pulling an all-nighter to deliver a major Independence Day political win for the White House.
After twisting the arms of a few GOP holdouts, House leaders wrapped up the Big Beautiful Bill that includes massive tax cuts for the wealthy and draconian cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance ahead of Trump’s July 4 deadline.
“We are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before,” an ebullient Speaker Mike Johnson said to raucous cheers from Republican lawmakers. “Are you tired of winning yet?”
“America is back,” he added.
Just two Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), bucked Trump and their leaders to vote against it.
Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered a record-setting marathon speech starting before daybreak in a doomed last-ditch effort to stall enactment of the bill.
The Brooklyn lawmaker broke a record by speaking for eight hours and 45 minutes before stepping aside and allowing the GOP vote to move ahead.
“This reckless Republican budget is an immoral document,” Jeffries thundered as Democratic lawmakers cheered. “Everyone should vote against it because of how it attacks children and seniors and everyday Americans.”
Despite the howls of opposition, passing the bill amounts to a sweeping win for Trump and his Republican allies who cobbled together a long list of GOP priorities into an 800-plus page package that they pushed through both houses of Congress with the narrowest of majorities.
But polls say it’s unpopular with the majority of voters, and Democrats make no secret of their plan to center anger over the harsh cuts in their campaign to retake Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
At the heart of the package is an extension of the $4.5 trillion in Trump tax breaks from 2017 that would have expired without action. There are also other goodies like allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.
It raises the cap on deducting SALT, or state and local taxes, to $40,000, although the benefit sunsets after five years in a budget gimmick to make it look less costly. That was a key priority of suburban Republicans, especially in the New York area.
There’s also $350 billion for Trump’s mass deportation plan and border security.
Some of the costs are offset by $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to food stamps and especially Medicaid, largely by imposing new cumbersome work requirements, including for some parents and older people.
Nonpartisan analysts say it will knock 11 million people off their health insurance and close many hospitals that depend on their funding.
The bill increases the federal debt by $3.3 trillion and lifts the debt ceiling, but Republican budget hawks swallowed hard and voted for it anyway.
Originally Published: July 3, 2025 at 9:54 AM EDT
