The U.S. House of Representatives initiated its final debate on President Donald Trump’s ambitious spending bill early Thursday morning, following a breakthrough as Republican holdouts threw their support behind the package. This development marks a significant win for Republican leaders after extensive negotiations to overcome a period of gridlock. The motion to commence the debate, which narrowly passed 219-213 just after 3:30 a.m. ET, affirms the party’s commitment to moving forward despite the earlier resistance. Only Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania broke ranks, voting with Democrats against the motion.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson worked tirelessly overnight to rally support, with Trump personally engaging in discussions to persuade dissenters. Frustration was evident from the former president, who expressed his discontent with the delays, tweeting, “FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!” shortly after 1 a.m. ET.
The legislation has faced a challenging path, recently passing the Senate with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote on Tuesday. A final vote in the House is anticipated later Thursday morning. If approved, the bill will be sent to Trump for his signature, with the president pushing for it to reach his desk before July 4.
Dubbed a “big, beautiful” bill, the proposal aims to extend substantial tax cuts initiated during Trump’s first term while enacting significant reductions to social safety programs and altering tax credit access for the renewable energy sector. Democrats have united in opposition, arguing that the cuts disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans. “The top 1% are salivating over getting an extra $300,000 per year because of this dangerous bill,” said Rep. Gabe Amo, D-R.I., during his remarks.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., dedicated considerable time in the debate to sharing testimonials from individuals reliant on Medicaid, underscoring the implications of proposed cuts. These reductions, among other revisions, have led to a controversial $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling-a figure that surpasses the $4 trillion increase previously approved by the House.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill could add $3.4 trillion to the nation’s existing $36.2 trillion debt over the next decade. The White House has disputed these estimates, labeling the CBO as “partisan.”
As the megabill moves forward, it coincides with broader economic uncertainties, including Trump’s push for a protectionist trade policy and the potential implementation of reciprocal tariffs on major U.S. trading partners beginning July 9. This developing story is expected to evolve, with further updates anticipated throughout the day.
Original Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/03/trump-megabill-house-vote.html
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Publish Date: 2025-07-03 21:07:00
