WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending legislation — dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — faces a critical impasse in the U.S. House of Representatives, as deep divisions among Republicans threaten to derail the centerpiece of his domestic policy agenda.
The Republican-led Senate narrowly passed the $4.5 trillion bill on July 1, 2025, after a grueling 24-hour “vote-a-rama” filled with Democratic pushback on its most controversial provisions. However, despite Senate approval, the legislation has hit a wall in the House, where a group of GOP lawmakers are rebelling against key aspects of the plan.
As of midnight Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson was still holding open a vital procedural vote — more than two hours past its original call — as Republican leaders frantically negotiated behind closed doors with dissenters. The House must approve Senate revisions before the bill can move to a final vote.
“This is going to get done. We’re making good progress,” Johnson told reporters, trying to project optimism amid the chaos.
Originally passed by the House in May, the legislation returned for reapproval due to changes made by the Senate. While the bill fulfills many of Trump’s campaign pledges — including increased military spending, a large-scale migrant deportation operation, and the extension of first-term tax cuts — it has ignited backlash for its drastic implications.
The bill would add an estimated $3.4 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade and enact the deepest cuts to Medicaid since the program’s inception in the 1960s. Analysts estimate nearly 17 million Americans could lose health insurance coverage, and numerous rural hospitals may be forced to shut down.
The opposition within the GOP is multi-pronged. Fiscal conservatives have balked at the soaring debt projections, while moderate Republicans fear the potential backlash from slashing nearly $1 trillion in health care support — a move that could cost them re-election in competitive districts.
Republican leaders can only afford to lose three votes, but more than two dozen lawmakers remain undecided or opposed. Already, one conservative rejected the bill over its deficit impact, and two moderates signaled disapproval over the healthcare cuts.
Tensions flared earlier Wednesday when a preliminary procedural vote — typically completed in minutes — remained open for a record-breaking seven hours and 31 minutes, the longest vote in House history. The delay underscored the depth of internal resistance.
Speaker Johnson has leaned heavily on Trump’s personal influence to rally skeptical members. The former president summoned wavering Republicans to a private White House meeting Wednesday and posted an urgent midnight message on Truth Social:
> “What are the Republicans waiting for? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!”
Democrats, meanwhile, are preparing to make the bill a major issue in the 2026 midterm elections. They argue the legislation would result in a massive redistribution of wealth, benefiting the richest Americans at the expense of the most vulnerable.
“Shame on Senate Republicans for passing this disgusting abomination,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during a press conference at the Capitol, where Democrats held up four fingers — symbolizing the number of Republican votes they need to block the bill.
Although Trump has given House Republicans a two-day cushion ahead of his self-imposed July 4 deadline, the party remains in a bind, torn between party loyalty, fiscal responsibility, and political survival.
With negotiations ongoing and no resolution in sight, the fate of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” hangs in the balance.
