Trump’s 'Big Beautiful Bill', the $4 Trillion Spending Plan, Clears House After Hours of Heated Debate

WASHINGTON D.C. — In a dramatic pre-dawn session on Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved President Donald Trump's expansive tax and spending package, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," by a 215-214 vote. The legislation, central to Trump's second-term agenda, now advances to the Senate, where significant revisions are anticipated.

"This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!" Trump declared on Truth Social, urging the Senate to expedite its passage.

The bill proposes to make permanent the tax cuts from Trump's 2017 legislation, introduces new tax exemptions for tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, and increases the child tax credit to $2,500 through 2028. It also allocates $350 billion for national defense and border security, including $47 billion for a border wall and $25 billion for an advanced missile defense system.

To offset these costs, the bill includes nearly $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid, imposes stricter work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP recipients, and eliminates clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation would increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion over the next decade.

The vote saw all 212 Democrats opposing the bill, joined by Republicans Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio. Representative Andy Harris of Maryland voted present, while two Republicans were absent. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) managed to secure the necessary votes after last-minute amendments, including moving up Medicaid work requirements from 2029 to 2026 and increasing the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for households earning up to $500,000.

Democrats criticized the bill as favoring the wealthy at the expense of vulnerable populations. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated, "It's one big ugly bill... taking food out of the mouths of children, disabled Americans, veterans, and older Americans."

In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority and plan to use the reconciliation process to pass the bill with a simple majority. However, several GOP senators have expressed concerns. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) objected to the $4 trillion debt ceiling increase included in the bill, stating, "This will be the greatest increase in the debt ceiling ever, and the GOP owns this now."

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called for closing the carried interest loophole and expanding the child tax credit, while Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) expressed worries about deep cuts to Medicaid. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) criticized the bill's fiscal impact, saying, "We're missing the forest talking about twigs and leaves."

The Senate is expected to begin deliberations after the Memorial Day recess, with Republicans aiming to finalize the legislation by July 4. Any changes made by the Senate will require reconciliation with the House version before the bill can be sent to the president's desk.

"We're going to get it there by Independence Day on July 4, and we are going to celebrate a new golden age in America," Speaker Johnson said following the House vote.