Global Commonwealth Union) _ Marking a major win for US President Donald Trump, the US Congress passed the $4.5 trillion tax and spending bill on Thursday, narrowly aligning with the president’s self-imposed July 4 deadline. The bill passed with the final vote count at 218-215, with only two Republicans voting against the bill along with the Democrats. Trump is expected to sign the bill into law during a public ceremony that will likely be held on the Fourth of July.
The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is poised to be the trademark of his second presidential term, representing President Trump’s domestic agenda. The bill also seems to reenact two major campaign promises made by Trump prior to his presidential win, including making permanent the tax cuts he implemented in 2017, as well as the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security recipients.
However, there was much internal conflict throughout the procedures, with the bill being delayed for hours on Wednesday due to divisions in the Republican assembly. Texan Republican Representative Chip Roy initially voted against, calling the Senate version a “travesty”. He later switched his stance, stating that he felt they had reached a satisfactory compromise regarding key factors. However, the final bill passed by the House did not have any changes made to the bill passed in the Senate.
Trump maintained pressure on Republicans who were holding out, urging them to align with his agenda. Speaker Mike Johnson raced against time, attempting to gather supporters, referring to party unity, stating after the bill’s passage, “I believed in this vision. I believed in the group. I believe in America”.
Despite the eventual win, the opposition fought fiercely, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries setting a record with an 8-hour and 45-minute-long floor speech, in which he provided criticisms of the cuts made by the bill on healthcare, food benefits, and green energy incentives. Democratic lawmakers were seen to condemn the legislation due to its favoritism towards the wealthier demographic while reducing the support for those with low income.
Regardless of the concerns expressed by the Congressional Budget Office that warned of the bill’s possible addition of $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit in the span of a decade and reduced access to healthcare. The White House has rejected the predictions, claiming instead that the bill would contribute toward economic growth. President Donald Trump described the bill, comparing it to a launchpad, and stated that “it will turn this country into a rocket ship.”
