Late Sunday night, the House Budget Committee approved President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” following a temporary delay caused by resistance from Republican hard-liners on Friday. The bill passed with a narrow margin of 17-16, strictly along party lines. Notably, four conservative Republican members — Reps. Chip Roy, Andrew Clyde, Josh Brecheen, and Ralph Norman — who had previously opposed the bill, shifted their stance and voted “present” instead of against it.
The legislative process will now move to the Rules Committee, which is expected to meet in the middle of the week. This will set the stage for a full House vote by the end of the week.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke on Monday, emphasizing the necessity for unity within the Republican Party. She urged GOP lawmakers to support the measure, saying, “It’s absolutely essential that Republicans unite behind the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ and deliver on Trump’s agenda.” Her statement reflects the administration’s growing effort to rally the party around the bill.
Addressing concerns that some Republicans have raised regarding the federal deficit, Leavitt was direct in her rebuttal. “This bill will not add to the deficit,” she said. Leavitt also noted that President Trump had been in “constant communication” with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson over the weekend. She added that Trump was prepared to take further action if needed: “The president is willing to pick up the phone to encourage Republicans to fall in line on the bill.”
Despite the push from the White House, the bill initially faced a hurdle on Friday when several Budget Committee conservatives blocked its progression. Their concerns centered primarily on the timeline for implementing Medicaid work requirements. According to the current version of the bill, these requirements would not take effect until 2029. However, conservative members have been advocating for an earlier start date, ideally in 2027. This issue has remained one of the key sticking points in ongoing negotiations.
Ahead of Sunday’s vote, Speaker Johnson expressed optimism about the talks, stating that discussions had “gone great.” However, sources from Capitol Hill informed ABC News that disagreements persisted, especially around controversial topics like the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap and Medicaid reform. These points of contention had not yet been resolved as lawmakers prepared to move forward.
The core aim of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is to implement sweeping tax cuts, offset by spending reductions in other areas of the budget. One of the most significant proposed cuts involves slashing hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid. This approach has drawn criticism from some factions within the Republican Party, particularly from the House Freedom Caucus.
In a statement released after Sunday’s committee vote, the House Freedom Caucus made it clear that they are not yet on board with the current form of the legislation. “As written, the bill continues increased deficits in the near term with possible savings years down the road that may never materialize,” the group posted on X. Their message highlighted ongoing skepticism that the proposed savings would ultimately be realized, expressing concern that short-term fiscal consequences could outweigh long-term promises.
Meanwhile, attention is also turning to how the bill will fare in the Senate. Speaker Johnson said there has been close collaboration between the House and Senate, though he hopes the upper chamber will refrain from making changes that could threaten the bill’s passage. “The package that we send over there will be one that was very carefully negotiated and delicately balanced, and we hope that they [Senate] don’t make many modifications to it, because that will ensure its passage quickly,” Johnson stated.
He underscored the urgency of passing the bill by Independence Day, warning that further delays could complicate matters related to the national debt limit. “We’ve got to get this done and get it to the president’s desk by that big celebration on Independence Day. And I’m convinced that we can,” he said.
The looming mid-July deadline to address the debt ceiling is another major factor pressuring lawmakers to act swiftly. The bill’s advancement is seen not only as a pivotal moment for Trump’s policy agenda but also as a potential turning point in the broader fiscal debate within Congress. As the process moves forward, internal GOP divisions, especially among fiscal conservatives and hardliners, continue to pose a challenge to leadership.
Trump, who had already used social media to encourage support for the bill, appears determined to see it passed. His communication strategy includes direct outreach to lawmakers and strategic public messaging through his administration. Despite the initial roadblocks and ongoing negotiations, the legislation has cleared a significant hurdle in the House Budget Committee.
The upcoming vote in the Rules Committee and the eventual floor vote in the House will determine whether the measure continues to gain momentum. Supporters hope that the changes made over the weekend, including the shift in stance by four key conservative members, will help the bill garner enough support for final approval.
In the days ahead, further discussions over key policy points such as the timeline for Medicaid work requirements and the details of SALT deductions are likely to intensify. The GOP leadership is walking a fine line between maintaining fiscal responsibility and fulfilling the promises of the Trump administration. The outcome will not only impact immediate budgetary priorities but could also influence the political landscape leading into future election cycles.
As both chambers of Congress prepare for what could be a pivotal week in legislative action, all eyes remain on the outcome of the GOP’s internal negotiations and the final shape of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
