On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Trump-backed Big Beautiful Bill following weeks of intense negotiations in both chambers of Congress and a marathon day-long session in the House.
After progress stalled during the vote to bring the amended motion to the floor—a vote widely seen as a “test run” for the final approval—President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and other senior administration officials met early Thursday morning with several key holdouts.
The coalition of holdouts included members of the House Freedom Caucus and moderate Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who represents a district that supported Kamala Harris in 2024. Additionally, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a longtime opponent of the bill, switched his vote from “yes” to “no” as negotiations faltered.
“We have a big job to finish,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “With one big beautiful bill we are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before.”
The outcome marks a significant milestone for the president and his party, achieving his Friday deadline. What began as a long-shot effort to bundle a wide array of GOP priorities into the 800-plus-page measure has now become a reality. With Democrats unified in opposition, the bill is set to become a defining piece of legislation for Trump’s return to the White House, bolstered by Republican control of Congress.
At its core, the package prioritizes preserving $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in 2017 during Trump’s first term that would expire without congressional action, along with introducing new incentives. These include allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, as well as a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning under $75,000 annually.
The bill also includes a substantial investment of around $350 billion in national security, supporting Trump’s deportation agenda and funding the development of the “Golden Dome” defense system over the U.S.
To offset the lost tax revenue, the package proposes $1.2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and food stamp programs, primarily by introducing new work requirements for certain parents and older adults. It also includes a significant rollback of green energy tax credits.
“This was a generational opportunity to deliver the most comprehensive and consequential set of conservative reforms in modern history, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the House Budget Committee chairman.
