Trump's big bill advances in rare weekend vote as conservative holdouts secure changes
Republicans advanced their massive tax cut and border security package out of a key House committee during a rare Sunday night vote as deficit hawks who the measure two days earlier reversed course after gaining commitments on the package鈥檚 spending cuts.
Speaker Mike Johnson met with Republican lawmakers shortly before the meeting, telling reporters that the changes agreed to were "just some minor modifications. Not a huge thing.鈥�
Video above: House Republicans push President Donald Trump's "one big beautiful bill"
Democrats on the panel pressed for more details about the changes that Republicans had agreed to in the private negotiations. But Rep. Jodey Arrington, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, said he could not do so.
鈥淒eliberations continue at this very moment," Arrington said. "They will continue on into the week, and I suspect right up until the time we put this big, beautiful bill on the floor of the House.鈥�
The first time Republicans tried advancing the bill out of the House Budget Committee, deficit hawks joined with Democratic lawmakers in voting against reporting the measure to the full House. Five Republicans voted no, one on procedural grounds, the other four voicing concerns about the bill's impact on federal budget deficits.
On Sunday evening, the four voicing concerns about the bill's impact on the deficit voted present, and the measure passed by a vote of 17-16.
Johnson is looking to put the bill on the House floor before the end of the week.
鈥淭his is the vehicle through which we will deliver on the mandate that the American people gave us in the last election,鈥� he said on 鈥淔ox News Sunday.鈥�
The Republicans who criticized the measure noted that the bill's new spending and the tax cuts are front-loaded in the bill, while the measures to offset the cost are back-loaded. For example, they are looking to speed up the new work requirements that Republicans want to enact for able-bodied participants in Medicaid. Those requirements would not kick in until 2029 under the current bill.
鈥淲e are writing checks we cannot cash, and our children are going to pay the price,鈥� said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the committee. 鈥淪omething needs to change, or you鈥檙e not going to get my support.鈥�
Video below: GOP infighting blocks Trump's budget bill in House committee
Johnson said the start date for the work requirements was designed to give states time to 鈥渞etool their systems鈥� and to 鈥渕ake sure that all the new laws and all the new safeguards that we鈥檙e placing can actually be enforced.鈥�
Roy was joined in voting no by Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma and Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia. Rep. Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania switched his vote to no in a procedural step so it could be reconsidered later, saying after the hearing he was confident Republicans would 鈥済et this done.鈥� Johnson said talks to deal with their concerns were continuing Sunday.
Remarkably, the vote against advancing the bill came after President Donald Trump had called on Republicans in a social media post to unite behind it.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need 鈥楪RANDSTANDERS鈥� in the Republican Party," Trump posted. "STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!鈥�
At its core, the sprawling package permanently extends that were approved during Trump鈥檚 first term, in 2017, and adds temporary new ones that the president campaigned on in 2024, including , overtime pay and auto loan interest payments. The measure also proposes big spending increases for border security and defense.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, estimates that the House bill to add roughly $3.3 trillion to the debt over the next decade.
Democrats are overwhelmingly opposed to the measure, which Republicans have labeled 鈥淭he One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act." Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called it, 鈥渙ne big, beautiful betrayal鈥� in Friday's hearing.
鈥淭his spending bill is terrible, and I think the American people know that,鈥� Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., told CNN's "State of the Union'' on Sunday. 鈥淭here is nothing wrong with us bringing the government in balance. But there is a problem when that balance comes on the back of working men and women. And that鈥檚 what is happening here.鈥�
Johnson is not just having to address the concerns of the deficit hawks in his conference. He's also facing pressure from centrists who will be warily eyeing the proposed changes to Medicaid, food assistance programs and the rolling back of clean energy tax credits. Republican lawmakers from New York and elsewhere are also demanding a much large state and local tax deduction.
As it stands, the bill proposes tripling what鈥檚 currently a $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, increasing it to $30,000 for joint filers with incomes up to $400,000 a year.
Rep. Nick LaLota, one of the New York lawmakers leading the effort to lift the cap, said they have proposed a deduction of $62,000 for single filers and $124,000 for joint filers.
If the bill passes the House this week, it would then move to the Senate, where Republican lawmakers are also eyeing changes that could make final passage in the House more difficult.
Johnson said, 鈥淭he package that we send over there will be one that was very carefully negotiated and delicately balanced, and we hope that they don鈥檛 make many modifications to it because that will ensure its passage quickly."