House Republicans Pass Trump Tax Bill After Late Night Vote

President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” is on the cusp of becoming law after House Republicans secured a crucial procedural vote early Thursday morning. The vote, which took place around 3:30 AM ET, sets the stage for a final vote later in the day. This procedural vote, known as the House “rule,” allows for amendments and final passage of the legislation.

Speaker Mike Johnson played a pivotal role in convincing GOP policymakers to vote in favor of the bill, which underwent several changes in the Senate. The final version includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, increased spending on military and border security, and reductions to Medicaid and food assistance programs. The House originally passed the legislation in May, but the Senate’s revisions added more tax reductions and reduced cuts to social programs, causing internal strife among House Republicans.

House Republicans, who had been divided over the bill, managed to unite after days of intense negotiations. The Senate had previously passed the bill by a single vote, cast by Vice President JD Vance, and House leaders were determined to avoid a similar marathon. Fiscal conservatives in the House were concerned about the potential impact on the national debt, while moderates worried about the political fallout from slashing Medicaid benefits.

Speaker Johnson held several meetings throughout Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday to secure enough support. After the vote, Johnson expressed optimism, stating, “It’s been a good day, we’re in a good place right now.” He denied any political deals were made to win over holdouts, insisting that lawmakers simply needed time to understand the bill’s latest provisions.

President Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, midday Wednesday to urge right-wing aligned lawmakers to unite and move his administration’s bill to a final vote. “It looks like the House is ready to vote tonight. We had GREAT conversations all day, and the Republican House Majority is UNITED, for the Good of our Country, delivering the Biggest Tax Cuts in History and MASSIVE Growth,” Trump posted. “Let’s go, Republicans, and everyone else. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Members of the House Freedom Caucus, initially reluctant to vote, changed their stance after reportedly talking to the President. Towards the vote, fiscal hawks from the House Freedom Caucus were against what they viewed as “excessive spending,” unsure of how the bill would help solve the issue of a ballooning US deficit. Representative Chip Roy of Texas and Freedom Caucus member initially wanted to reopen the bill and rework it, even if it meant delaying the July 4 recess. By evening, however, Roy voted in favor of bringing the bill to the floor. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania was the only Republican to vote against the procedural motion.

House Democrats, though unable to win in the vote, held a press conference on the Capitol steps Wednesday, accusing Republicans of bending to Trump’s will. Representative Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island stated, “When we say the Republican Party has turned into a cult, this is what we mean. Our Republican colleagues are pushing a bill that would throw their constituents under the bus … all because Donald Trump wants a bill signing photo-op by the Fourth of July.” Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the House Minority Whip, called out GOP Representative David Valadao of California for supporting the bill despite his publicly stated reservations about deep cuts to Medicaid, a program his constituents rely on. Even with his reservations, Valadao voted to advance the bill.