House Republicans lifted President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final passage Thursday.
They overcame multiple setbacks to approve his second-term policy package before a self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.
The tight roll call, 218-214, came at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed. GOP leaders worked overnight and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition and send the bill to his desk to become law.
The passage of the 800-plus page “big beautiful bill” will likely become a defining milestone of Trump’s return to the White House, and it’s indicative of the power the right wields in this majority-Republican Congress.
The atmosphere was joyous and musical at a ceremony for the passage of Republicans’ signature tax and spending bill.
“I believe in America,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, becoming briefly emotional as his colleagues cheered for him just ahead of the bill signing.
“Everything was an absolute disaster under the Biden-Harris radical, woke, progressive, Democrat regime,” Johnson said, adding that Republicans “had to quite literally fix every area of public policy.”
Johnson took selfies with lawmakers just before he signed the bill. Lawmakers all posed around the House speaker with their thumbs up as Johnson signed it, mimicking Trump’s signature poses. Half a dozen lawmakers also danced with their fists — Trump’s trademark dance move — as “Y.M.C.A” broke out in the room after Johnson penned his signature.
“Without his leadership, none of this would have been possible,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, the GOP conference chair. “But today, we passed actual transformational legislation, legislation that will impact every family tomorrow.”
San Diego’s Congressional delegation, comprised mostly of Democrats, feel the same – but they don’t think Americans’ lives will be transformed for the better.
Rep. Mike Levin, D-Dana Point – his district covers parts of North County and Orange County – called the legislation “the worst bill that the House has voted on during my time in Congress” and said House Republicans “don’t care what they’re doing to working families.”
“I’ve made sure my Republican colleagues know exactly what their vote in support of this legislation means,” he said in a news release. “The numbers are dire. Health care coverage ripped away from 17 million Americans. Food assistance for 42 million threatened. Home electricity bills increasing over $400 dollars a year.”
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Escondido, in a social media post, criticized Democrats for their filibuster before the bill passed.
“Every Democrat in Congress is about to vote against tax cuts on tips, overtime, social security, car loans, families with kids and small businesses — while promising billions in benifits (sic) for illegals,” he wrote. “No wonder they’re filibustering.”
Like Levin, though, other San Diego Democrats pointed to the substantial cuts coming, especially for those in need of public assistance.
Rep. Juan Vargas said that “Republicans in Congress have inflicted an unbelievable amount of pain and suffering on millions of families across the country and made it clear that billionaires matter more than their constituents. It’s an absolute betrayal. Shame on them. This won’t be forgotten.”
For Rep. Sara Jacobs, “this bill represents government at its worst. It cements inequality by eliminating the few levers that people have to escape and stay out of poverty. It saddles future generations with enormous debt and a sicker and hungrier workforce.”
Rep. Scott Peters, another San Diego Democrat, said “this partisan bill asks only those with the least to sacrifice while giving tax breaks to those with the most.”
It is, he concluded, “obscene.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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