Fiscal conservatives let ​​Trump’s budget bill advance

The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act passed the House Budget Committee in a rare Sunday night party-line vote. Committee members gaveled in at 10 p.m. Sunday to modify and vote on the budget bill covering tax cuts, border security, and other of President Donald Trump’s priorities. They voted 17-16 in favor of the bill, with four Republicans from the House Freedom Caucus voting “present.” The four—Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Ralph Norman R-S.C., Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.—previously voted against the bill with Democrats to block the bill on Friday. The caucus wants to trim more government spending.

Brecheen said he and his colleagues voted “present” to advance the bill to honor the progress made during weekend negotiations while signaling that they want further modifications. The new version of the budget bill addresses some of the House Freedom Caucus’ concerns: It stipulates that new work requirements for Medicaid eligibility start during President Trump’s term, instead of in 2029 as originally planned. The amended bill also repeals some wind and solar subsidies, Breechen said. However, the bill still needs significant spending cuts, the House Freedom Caucus said.

Where is the bill headed next? The House Rules Committee will consider the amended version of the bill on Wednesday. The committee has nine Republican and four Democratic members. Two of the Republicans are members of the House Freedom Caucus. If the Rules Committee passes the bill, it will head to the House floor.

What challenges will the budget bill face on the House floor? Republicans who want further spending cuts will face opposition from fellow party members who want to increase tax deductions at the state and local levels. Five Republicans from blue states where the cost of living is relatively high have said they won’t support the bill unless the cap on those deductions is raised.

The bill’s tax package alone is estimated to add$3.8 trillion through 2034 to the federal deficit, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.