- The Republican-controlled House narrowly passed a $4.5 trillion tax-cut and border security bill, advancing Trump’s 2025 priorities in a 217-215 vote.
- The bill extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, proposes $2 trillion in spending cuts, and funds border security, deportations, energy deregulation, and military spending.
- GOP leaders faced internal resistance over concerns about national debt and potential cuts to Medicaid and other social programs.
- Democrats criticized the bill as favoring the wealthy and undermining essential social programs, calling it a “blueprint for American decline.”
- The bill now heads to the Senate, where both chambers must reconcile differences to use budget reconciliation and avoid a government shutdown by March 14.
In a dramatic late-night vote, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly advanced President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and border security agenda, marking a critical step toward delivering his 2025 priorities.
The measure passed 217-215 on Tuesday, with only one Republican—Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky—breaking ranks to oppose it. No Democrats supported the bill, which now heads to the Senate for further debate. The vote underscores the fragility of the GOP’s slim majority and sets the stage for a contentious battle over tax policy, government spending, and border security in the months ahead.
A hard-fought victory for GOP leadership
The passage of the budget resolution was a hard-won victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who spent hours persuading reluctant Republicans to back the $4.5 trillion tax-cut plan. The bill extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year, while also proposing $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade to offset the cost. The plan includes funding for border security, deportations of migrants living in the U.S. illegally, energy deregulation, and increased military spending.
President Trump personally intervened to rally support, calling holdout lawmakers and inviting Republicans to the White House. “We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we are going to deliver the America First agenda,” Johnson told reporters after the vote. “We’re going to celebrate tonight, and we’ll roll up our sleeves and get right back to work in the morning.”
Concerns over spending cuts and Medicaid
Despite the victory, the bill faced significant pushback from both fiscal conservatives and moderates. Some Republicans, including Rep. Massie, expressed concerns about the plan’s impact on the national debt, which currently stands at $36 trillion. Others worried about the potential for deep cuts to programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and Pell grants.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said Trump assured him that Medicaid would not be cut. “The president was clear about that. I was clear about that,” Lawler said. “We will work through this, but the objective today is to begin the process.”
Democrats, meanwhile, lambasted the bill as a “blueprint for American decline” and a “Republican rip-off.” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called it a “betrayal” to Americans, arguing that it prioritizes tax breaks for the wealthy over essential social programs.
What happens next?
The House budget resolution is just the first step in a lengthy legislative process. The Senate, which passed its own $340 billion budget blueprint last week, will now take up the House version. Both chambers must reconcile their differences to unlock a parliamentary tool known as budget reconciliation, which allows Republicans to bypass Democratic opposition and pass Trump’s agenda with a simple majority.
The coming months will be critical as lawmakers face multiple deadlines, including the need to approve fiscal year 2025 spending bills by March 14 to avoid a government shutdown. Later this year, Congress will also need to address the federal debt ceiling to prevent a potential default.
For now, House Republicans are celebrating a hard-fought victory, but the road ahead remains fraught with challenges. As Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, a member of the House Budget Committee, put it, “It's the best bill we're going to get.”
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