Republican leaders scored a significant procedural victory late Sunday night when the House Budget Committee narrowly voted to advance President Donald Trump’s sweeping legislative package, dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This bill, which extends Trump-era tax cuts, boosts border funding, and reforms safety-net programs like Medicaid and food assistance, managed to clear the committee in a 17-16 vote — a crucial step toward broader passage.
The unusual timing of the vote, which began after 10 p.m. EDT, reflected the high-stakes negotiations among Republicans and the pressure to reach an agreement. The breakthrough came after four GOP lawmakers — Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Chip Roy of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, and Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma — who had previously blocked the bill on Friday, agreed to vote “present,” allowing the legislation to advance.
Their shift was attributed to progress made on two key conservative demands: moving up the implementation date for new Medicaid work requirements and accelerating the phase-out of green energy incentives. Roy confirmed this development, stating that changes were underway to address some of the group’s concerns.
In a reflection of the vote’s importance, high-ranking officials including Speaker Mike Johnson and White House Legislative Affairs Director James Braid were spotted near the hearing room during the late-night session. Johnson celebrated the moment, calling it “a big win tonight.”
“There’s a lot more work to do; we’ve always acknowledged that towards the end there will be more details to iron out. We have several more to take care of,” Johnson said. “But I’m looking forward to very thoughtful discussions, very productive discussions over the next few days, and I am absolutely convinced we’re going to get this in final form and pass it in accordance with our original deadline, and that was to do it before Memorial Day.”
The Speaker added, “So this will be a victory out of committee tonight. Everybody will make a vote that allows us to proceed, and that was my big request tonight.”
With the bill now out of the Budget Committee, it heads to the House Rules Committee. That panel will consider final tweaks to the package to reflect additional compromises between conservative deficit hawks and moderates from high-tax states, many of whom are focused on raising the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap.
Although leadership was celebrating the advancement, conservative members emphasized that the bill is still a work in progress. Roy noted that his vote was more of a strategic move than an endorsement.
He stated, “Out of respect for the Republican Conference and the President,” he had voted present, but cautioned that the bill “does not yet meet the moment.” According to Roy, the modified measure does “move Medicaid work requirements forward and reduces the availability of future subsidies under the green new scam.” Still, he remained critical of elements in the legislation, particularly provisions related to green energy tax credits and Medicaid.
In a statement on social platform X, Roy wrote, “This all ultimately increases the likelihood of continuing deficits and non-Obamacare-expansion states like Texas expanding in the future. We can and must do better before we pass the final product.” His remarks suggested he wants more aggressive reforms, such as reining in the provider tax mechanism that states use to obtain increased federal Medicaid funding.
Norman echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that although some progress had been made, more revisions are needed. “We had some great changes, got a lot more work to do. We’re excited about what we did. We wanted to move the bill forward, and it went like I thought,” Norman said.
He also emphasized the broader fiscal concerns that are motivating conservative Republicans. “We’ve been downgraded three times, we have problems with the money in this country, the debt, the FMAPs gotta be dealt with,” Norman said, referencing the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP), the federal share of Medicaid costs.
Despite the committee advancement, Roy — who is also a member of the Rules Committee — would not commit to supporting the bill in the next round of voting. When asked whether Trump had reached out to him following the president’s Friday call for Republicans to “STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!” Roy declined to respond.
The initial rejection of the bill by these four conservatives stemmed from the belief that its cost-saving measures were insufficient. Their objections focused on delays in implementing new Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied adults and the slow elimination of green energy incentives. They feared that because the projected savings are back-loaded over a ten-year period, the full financial benefits may never materialize.
On the other side of the Republican spectrum, moderates representing districts in high-tax states are pushing for a much larger increase in the SALT deduction cap. The current version of the bill proposes a $30,000 cap — triple the current limit — but moderates insist that it still falls short of what’s needed to secure their support. Accommodating these demands will necessitate additional adjustments elsewhere in the bill to keep it fiscally viable.
For now, the changes already made were enough to satisfy the holdouts temporarily, at least to allow the legislative process to continue. Norman acknowledged this by stating, “In an effort to move this bill forward, and I’m excited about the changes we’ve made, I vote present.”
Democrats on the committee expressed frustration and skepticism about these last-minute compromises and the lack of transparency. As the vote proceeded, some could be heard asking, “What changes?” Ranking member Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania raised concerns about the undisclosed “side deals” being negotiated behind closed doors. He argued that lawmakers and the public alike deserve to know what changes are being considered and who is making them.
Boyle’s remarks highlighted the Democratic view that the legislative process is becoming increasingly opaque, especially when major overhauls to social safety-net programs are being crafted without public scrutiny or committee debate.
Even as the bill advances, the path ahead is uncertain. The Republican Party remains divided between conservatives who want more drastic reforms and moderates seeking protections for their constituents. The coming days will involve intricate negotiations and political maneuvering to reconcile these opposing demands and deliver a final product that satisfies enough lawmakers to pass the full House.
With Memorial Day looming as the target deadline, Republican leaders must navigate internal divisions, broker further deals, and maintain momentum to push the bill through Congress — a challenging task, even with Trump’s vocal support.
In sum, while the advancement of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act represents a procedural success for GOP leadership, it also exposes deep rifts within the Republican ranks that will need to be bridged in the coming weeks.