“Big, beautiful bill” narrowly passes House, heads to Senate

House representatives in the early hours of Thursday morning voted 215 to 214 to pass a sweeping bill aimed at cutting taxes and government spending. The vote came after lawmakers stayed up all night debating the measure following weeks of discussion and pressure from President Donald Trump to pass his policy package.

How did we get here, and how did the vote go? The bill earlier this week faced significant opposition from members of the House Freedom Caucus, especially over a proposal to raise the State and Local Tax Deduction cap in the legislation. While nearly all Republicans eventually voted in favor of the bill, GOP Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio joined all Democratic representatives to vote against the measure. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland voted present.

How did leaders react to the advancement? The legislation aligns with President Trump’s America First agenda, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement following the vote. President Trump cheered the passage as the bill moved on to the Senate.

What is included in the bill? Trump’s priority legislation is intended to deliver tax cuts for American families, secure the U.S. border, reduce federal spending, and make the government more efficient, Johnson said. The bill also aims for $3.5 trillion in spending cuts and would extend tax cuts that Trump originally passed in 2017. House Republicans on Wednesday changed the bill to win over some holdouts, bumping up new work requirements for Medicaid recipients to begin at the end of 2026 instead of the beginning of 2029. Medicaid reforms in the bill also include a provision to end taxpayer funding for elective abortions. The bill also rescinds some clean energy tax credits passed under former President Joe Biden. 

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report about Trump going to the Capitol to advocate for the bill.