House Advances Contentious Tax-and-Spending Bill
Democrats decry legislation as Republicans push for final vote.
After heated debate stretching through the night, the House of Representatives is moving closer to a vote on **Donald Trump’s** wide-ranging tax-and-spending bill, facing strong opposition from Democrats.
House Clears Procedural Hurdle
Initially, progress was stalled when a rule enabling debate was blocked. Nevertheless, representatives ultimately voted 219-213 around 3:30 a.m. ET, allowing debate to proceed.
**Jeffries** Mounts Lengthy Opposition
The debate extended longer than anticipated, driven largely by a marathon speech from Democratic leader **Hakeem Jeffries**. He described the legislation as “one big ugly bill”
and shared numerous letters from Americans detailing the significance of Medicaid.
**Jeffries**, remaining on the floor, pledged to use his “sweet time”
to recount stories of Americans whose lives could be negatively affected if the bill passes.
During debate, **Jeffries** said the bill would “hurt everyday Americans”
and that “people in America will die unncessary deaths.”
He added:
“That is outrageous, that is disgusting. That is not what we should be doing here in the United States House of Representatives.”
Speaker Optimistic, Cites **Trump’s** Involvement
House speaker **Mike Johnson** conveyed optimism Wednesday evening, stating lawmakers had experienced a “long, productive day”
discussing the bill. He also credited **Trump** with personally phoning holdouts in the early morning hours, according to Reuters.
“There couldn’t be a more engaged and involved president,”
the speaker told reporters.
Republican Leader Predicts Swift Passage
As Democratic leader **Hakeem Jeffries** continues to delay a vote with his now three-hour-plus floor speech, Republicans remain confident they have the slim margin they need to pass the bill.
Appearing on Fox News Thursday morning, the House majority leader, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, said he expects the bill to move to Donald Trump’s desk in “the next two hours.”
That would mean a vote would need to occur by 10am in Washington.
Bill Seen as Catastrophic
With a narrow 220-212 majority, Republicans can afford no more than three defections to get a final bill to Donald Trump’s desk.
Democrats are united in opposition to the bill, saying that its tax breaks disproportionately benefit the wealthy while cutting services that lower- and middle-income Americans rely on. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that almost 12 million people could lose health insurance as a result of the bill.
“This bill is catastrophic. It is not policy, it is punishment,”
Democratic representative Jim McGovern said in debate on the House floor.
Any changes made by the House would require another Senate vote, which would make it all but impossible to meet the 4 July deadline.
Bill Extends Tax Cuts
The legislation contains most of Trump’s top domestic priorities, from tax cuts to immigration enforcement. The bill would extend **Trump’s** 2017 tax cuts, cut health and food safety net programs, fund **Trump’s** immigration crackdown, and zero out many green-energy incentives. It also includes a $5tn increase in the nation’s debt ceiling, which lawmakers must address in the coming months or risk a devastating default.
The Medicaid cuts have also raised concerns among some Republicans, prompting the Senate to set aside more money for rural hospitals.
Democratic Opposition Intensifies
The House minority leader, **Hakeem Jeffries** has now been speaking for more than three hours on the House floor, highlighting the stories of Americans across the country who will be hurt by the bill.
“This is a crime scene and House Democrats want no part of it,”
**Jeffries** said shortly after 8am in Washington. “And Mr Speaker, this is why we want no part of it.”
As the debate continues, the House appears poised for a final vote later today. Americans are watching closely, with a recent study showing that 57% oppose cuts to Medicaid (KFF 2024).
