After weeks of tense negotiations and fierce behind-the-scenes arm-twisting from the White House, the House passed President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” on Thursday afternoon. Hailed by supporters as a sweeping victory and derided by critics as a reckless power grab, the bill represents Trump’s entire domestic policy agenda.
As House Speaker Mike Johnson gaveled down the vote and announced the bill’s passage, applause and shouts of “USA” filled the House chamber.
All but two Republicans voted to pass the measure, while all Democrats voted against it.
The two members of the GOP caucus who voted “no” include Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
Massie is a fiscal hawk, rabidly so, who was never going to vote for this bill. Fitzpatrick is a moderate from a swing district in Pennsylvania that Democrats are hoping to flip in next year’s midterms.
The bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
The bill advanced in the House of Representatives at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday after a group of Republican holdouts switched their votes. This procedural vote allowed the House to open debate on the legislation and paved the way forward to a vote on the final bill.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) took the floor just before 5 a.m. ET to begin his “magic minute” speech. According to Fox News, a “magic minute” is “a privilege for party leaders in the chamber that allows them to speak for however long they want.”
As if trying to compete with his Senate colleague, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), whose March 31 filibuster lasted more than 25 hours, Jeffries spoke for nearly nine hours. I’m not quite sure whether he was merely delaying the inevitable or genuinely hoping that some wobbly Republicans might reconsider their votes.
Following brief remarks from Speaker Johnson, the vote began.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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