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President Donald Trump’s high-stakes tax-and-spending overhaul bill narrowly cleared the U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday, passing by the slimmest possible margin in a dramatic 216–214 vote that underscored deep divisions within the Republican Party.
Despite late-stage resistance from a small bloc of conservative GOP holdouts, including Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), House Republican leadership managed to whip just enough votes to send the legislation to the Senate. The result came down to the final moments, with the Speaker’s office scrambling behind closed doors to prevent a public embarrassment for the Trump-aligned GOP majority.
“This is a victory for working Americans,” House Majority Leader Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said moments after the vote. “We’ve passed a bold economic package that will unleash growth, cut red tape, and restore fiscal discipline.”
What’s in the Bill?
The Trump-backed legislation, formally known as the 2025 American Renewal Act, includes:
Permanent extensions of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, including corporate and individual rate reductions
A 15% national flat tax option for individuals
Spending caps across federal agencies, excluding defense and veterans programs
Major cuts to the IRS, Department of Education, and EPA
New incentives for domestic energy production and small businesses
A provision creating a “Freedom Credit” aimed at families with children and dependents
While supporters hailed the bill as a long-overdue return to Reagan-era supply-side economics, critics both Democratic and Republican warned of ballooning deficits and potential cuts to key social programs.
Republican Infighting Almost Sank the Bill
The internal rift among House Republicans nearly derailed the vote. Massie, a frequent libertarian critic of federal spending, blasted the bill as “fiscally reckless” and “full of gimmicks.” Several other hard-right lawmakers were reportedly on the fence until minutes before the final vote.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) held an emergency caucus meeting shortly before the vote, warning that failure to pass the bill would be seen as a direct blow to Trump’s economic agenda and to the GOP’s credibility heading into the 2026 midterms.
“We made it clear: this isn’t just a bill, it’s a defining moment,” a senior GOP aide told reporters off the record.
In the end, every Democrat voted against the bill, while two Republicans defected allowing it to pass with just two votes above the 214 needed.
What Comes Next
The bill now moves to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. Democrats control a narrow 51–49 majority, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has already declared the legislation “dead on arrival.”
Still, Trump’s allies hope the House passage will force vulnerable Senate Democrats to take politically difficult votes and shape the narrative going into next year’s election season.
“This is about momentum,” said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a key architect of the legislation. “We passed the boldest tax-and-growth package since Reagan. Now let’s see who’s for prosperity and who’s for the swamp.”
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