Trump’s Tax Cuts Bill Clears House Narrowly Overnight/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ House Republicans passed Trump’s massive tax and spending bill after an overnight session. The package extends Trump-era tax cuts, slashes federal programs, and adds military funding. The final vote was 215-214, with no Democratic support.
Trump Tax Bill Quick Looks
- Final Vote: 215–214, with two Republicans opposing
- Bill Name: “One Big Beautiful Bill”
- Central Features: $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, Medicaid and SNAP work rules
- Military Spending: $150B including “Golden Dome” missile defense
- Deficit Impact: CBO projects $3.8 trillion increase over 10 years
- Medicaid Changes: Work requirements begin Dec. 2026
- Food Stamp Cuts: New work rules for adults up to age 64
- Green Energy: Biden-era tax credits rolled back
- Trump Branding: Children’s savings accounts renamed “Trump” Accounts
- Next Step: Bill moves to the Senate
Deep Look: House GOP Pushes Through Trump’s Expansive Tax and Spending Overhaul in Pre-Dawn Vote
WASHINGTON — May 22, 2025 — After an all-night legislative blitz, House Republicans narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s flagship tax and spending plan Thursday morning, delivering a major legislative win to the White House.
The measure, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed by a razor-thin 215-214 vote, with unified Democratic opposition and two GOP defections.
Speaker Mike Johnson hailed the passage as a pivotal moment, declaring, “This bill gets Americans back to winning again.”
What’s in the Bill?
The sweeping 1,000-page-plus package is the cornerstone of Trump’s revived domestic agenda. It combines $4.5 trillion in tax extensions from Trump’s 2017 law with new tax breaks that he promised in the 2024 campaign — including exemptions for tips, overtime pay, and auto loan interest.
To help offset the lost revenue, Republicans paired the cuts with deep reductions in federal safety net programs, particularly Medicaid and food assistance, via expanded work requirements.
Additional provisions include:
- $350 billion in new spending — $150 billion for the Pentagon and Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, plus $200 billion for mass deportation and border security efforts.
- A rollback of green energy tax credits from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
- Expansion of the child tax credit to $2,500, and an increase in the standard income tax deduction to $32,000 for joint filers.
- Introduction of “Trump Accounts,” renamed from MAGA accounts, aimed at helping children build savings for education and advancement.
How Lawmakers Voted — and Why
Despite early doubts about its survival, Johnson secured support from most of his fractured caucus through late-night amendments and last-minute deals. He also received pressure from Trump, who warned holdouts that failure to pass the bill would be seen as “the ultimate betrayal.”
Even so, two Republicans opposed the bill, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a prominent fiscal hawk who warned, “This bill is a debt bomb ticking.”
Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), head of the House Freedom Caucus, voted “present” after calling the SALT deduction cap increase and other provisions “deeply flawed.” Still, he conceded, “We got some improvements.”
Budget & Economic Impact
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO):
- Deficits will grow by $3.8 trillion over the next decade due to tax cuts.
- Medicaid and SNAP changes would cut $1 trillion in spending.
- 8.6 million people would lose health coverage.
- 3 million fewer people each month would receive food stamps.
Democrats blasted the package as a windfall for the wealthy. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries read letters from constituents who rely on Medicaid and SNAP.
“This is one big ugly bill,” Jeffries said on the floor.
Overnight Maneuvering and Amendments
GOP leaders spent the night unveiling a 42-page amendment that included:
- Accelerated Medicaid work requirement rollout, now set for December 2026
- Faster phaseout of production tax credits for clean energy
- A new $12 billion fund for the Department of Homeland Security to reimburse states aiding in deportations and border efforts
- Expansion of the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for incomes up to $500,000, a key demand from Republicans in high-tax states like New York and California
Political and Policy Fallout
The bill’s passage is a massive political win for Trump, giving his administration momentum ahead of summer legislative battles. Still, it poses serious hurdles in the Senate, where even some Republicans are skeptical of its deficit impact and steep social spending cuts.
Democrats are expected to resist the bill’s advance, potentially forcing significant revisions or delaying final passage until after the summer recess.
In the meantime, vulnerable House Republicans could face backlash in moderate districts, where Medicaid cuts and rising deficits could become election issues.
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