The United States House of Representatives passed a procedural vote early Thursday morning with 219 votes to 213, advancing President Trump’s “Big and Beautiful Act” and paving the way for the final vote. This bill is one of the core domestic policy agendas of the Trump administration. Republicans hope to complete the legislation before the American Independence Day so that Trump can sign the bill on July 4th.
This roller-coaster procedural vote posed a political gamble for House Speaker Mike Johnson, facing opposition from different factions within the Republican Party. Johnson chose not to close the voting after more than five hours, seeking to keep the voting open.
Finally, with Trump personally intervening and speaking with some dissenting members, enough votes were secured to narrowly pass this crucial procedural rule, moving the bill forward.
Johnson stated that the House is expected to begin the final vote on the “Big and Beautiful Act” between 8:00 and 8:30 am Eastern Time on Thursday.
Previously, this bill had been approved in the Senate. If the House passes the Senate’s bill text, it will be sent directly to Trump for signature. It is expected that he will sign the bill on the American Independence Day on July 4th in a symbolic ceremony.
The “Big and Beautiful Act” is nearly 900 pages long and includes large-scale tax cuts, savings on social welfare spending, and increases in border and national defense spending, seen as key measures to drive economic growth in the United States.
On Wednesday night, as the House prepared for the procedural vote, Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “Looks like the House is ready to vote tonight. We’ve had a great dialogue all day, and the House Republican majority is united, bringing the largest tax cuts and massive economic growth in our nation’s history for the benefit of our country. Let’s work together, Republicans, and everyone—Let’s make America great again!”
However, some hardline conservative members expressed reservations about the bill, fearing that the reduction in federal spending might be too small, leading to an increase in national debt. The bill, modified by the Senate and returned to the House, further exacerbated these concerns with additional spending measures.
During the procedural vote, initially, four Republicans voted against the bill, and ten abstained, leading to a deadlock for several hours.
Subsequently, under the persuasion of the Republican leadership, two dissenters switched to support the measure. However, Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie changed his affirmative vote to a “no,” making the final vote count at 207 to 217.
A few hours later, President Trump directly spoke with some dissenters, including Massie, Indiana Republican Representative Victoria Spartz, and Tennessee Republican Representative Tim Burchett.
Shortly after, Johnson announced that he had secured the votes for the rule, ultimately passing with 219 in favor and 213 against.
With unanimous opposition from the Democratic Party, Johnson could only afford at most three Republican dissenting votes, forcing him to negotiate with party members who had reservations to ensure the smooth passage of the bill.