The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives has passed a sweeping multitrillion-dollar package of tax cuts and spending, marking a major legislative victory for Donald Trump ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. The bill, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill" by the former president, now heads to his desk for signature following a tense 24 hours of negotiations and political manoeuvring.
The House voted 218 to 214 in favour of the legislation late on Thursday, with only two Republicans &mdash; Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania &mdash; breaking ranks to join all Democrats in opposing the bill. The Senate had approved the package earlier this week after making a series of controversial amendments.
President Trump is expected to sign the bill at a White House ceremony on Friday, timed to coincide with America&rsquo;s Fourth of July festivities. The 887-page legislation represents the Republican Party's most significant achievement since taking full control of Washington earlier this year.
Republican leaders faced stiff resistance from within their own ranks, with several lawmakers initially baulking at Senate revisions that deepened cuts to Medicaid and scaled back green energy provisions. Despite the dissent, most sceptics eventually toed the party line following a combination of late-night talks, pressure from party leadership, and direct intervention by Trump himself.
Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries mounted a last-ditch effort to delay proceedings, delivering a marathon speech lasting 8 hours and 44 minutes &mdash; the longest in US House history. He condemned the bill&rsquo;s deep cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and clean energy funding, warning millions of Americans would suffer as a result.
Despite the opposition, Trump celebrated the bill&rsquo;s passage, proclaiming Republican unity and hailing the legislation as a turning point for the nation. Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, he declared: &ldquo;The Republicans in the House of Representatives have just passed the 'ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT.' Our party is united like never before, and our country is HOT. We will have a signing celebration at the White House, all are invited.&rdquo;
Later, addressing supporters at an Independence Day rally in Iowa, Trump described the bill as &ldquo;a declaration of independence from national decline&rdquo;, adding that there could be no better birthday present for the United States.
What&rsquo;s in the Bill?
The vast legislation extends tax cuts introduced by Trump in 2017 and introduces temporary tax relief on tips and overtime pay. It authorises hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending, notably boosting military funding and facilitating Trump&rsquo;s immigration enforcement agenda. The package also includes steep cuts to social programmes, with approximately $930 billion slashed from Medicaid, despite Trump&rsquo;s previous promises to protect the programme.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the bill will add $3.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. The combined revenue losses of $4.5 trillion far outweigh the $1.2 trillion in planned spending cuts. In addition, the bill raises the US debt ceiling by $5 trillion.
The Senate&rsquo;s revisions &mdash; including deeper Medicaid cuts, a higher debt ceiling increase, and alterations to green energy policies &mdash; caused significant unrest among House Republicans, forcing party leaders into frantic overnight negotiations. Provisions such as a moratorium on state regulation of artificial intelligence and an excise tax on the renewable energy sector were stripped from the final text in order to secure enough support.
House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged the internal tensions but hailed the final product as largely in line with the House&rsquo;s vision.
"We had a vision for unified government, and we did not want to waste that opportunity," Johnson told reporters, crediting Trump&rsquo;s direct engagement with wavering members for securing the bill&rsquo;s passage.
The decisive moment came after Republican leaders held the procedural vote open for nearly six hours overnight, allowing lawmakers to change their positions under mounting pressure from both leadership and Trump himself. By Thursday morning, sufficient support had been secured.
In the end, only Massie and Fitzpatrick opposed the bill. Massie, a long-time critic, condemned the legislation for its impact on US deficits, warning it would fuel inflation and high interest rates.
Fitzpatrick, representing a swing district in Pennsylvania, said Senate changes to Medicaid provisions undermined protections for his constituents.
"The Senate amendments fell short of the standard we expect for our community. I believe in policies that are thoughtful, compassionate, and good for our people &mdash; and this bill failed that test," Fitzpatrick said in a statement.
The bill's passage marks a pivotal moment for Trump and his allies as they pursue their agenda ahead of the upcoming election cycle, though critics warn the deep cuts to social programmes and soaring debt levels could have lasting consequences.

House leaders applaud after passing Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

Trump to sign the bill at White House on Friday, coinciding with July 4th celebrations

House Passes Sweeping Policy Bill, Trump Set to Sign

Trump to sign the bill at White House on Friday, coinciding with July 4th celebrations

July 4, 2025 | 14:32 IST