US House prepares final vote on Donald Trump's tax and spending bill; Jeffries warns of Medicaid cuts
Republican leaders and Trump himself worked through the night, personally calling skeptical lawmakers to break the internal deadlock.
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence after marathon talks: 'There couldn't be a more engaged and involved president,' Johnson said. 'We had a long, productive day discussing the issues.'
In a 219-213 vote around 3:30 a.m. ET, the House cleared the final procedural step needed to begin debate. The chamber, controlled 220-212 by Republicans, can afford no more than three defections.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries seized the floor in an hours-long address. Using the so-called 'magic minute,' which allows leaders unlimited speaking time, he condemned the legislation in blistering terms: 'This one big, ugly bill—this reckless Republican budget—this disgusting abomination is not about improving the quality of life of the American people,' Jeffries declared.
He accused Republicans of gutting health care and social programs to enrich the wealthiest Americans: 'The focus of this bill…is to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires.'
Jeffries began shortly before 5 a.m. ET, reading letters from Americans fearful of losing Medicaid and recounting historical struggles over economic inequality: 'I'm going to take my time,' he said, as colleagues listened in the chamber.
'This is a giveaway to billionaires and a gut punch to working families,' Jeffries said as he continued his speech.
Once Jeffries yields the floor, Republicans are expected to proceed quickly to a final vote—capping weeks of turmoil and marking a defining test of unity for the GOP majority.
At nearly 887 pages, the bill not only extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts but rolls back policies from the last two Democratic administrations. Cuts to Medicaid and food assistance
Elimination of many solar and clean-energy tax credits
New funding for immigration enforcement
A $5 trillion debt ceiling increase to prevent default
The Congressional Budget Office issued a stark review on Sunday, estimating the bill would add $3.3 trillion to the federal debt by 2034—nearly $1 trillion more than previous drafts. 11.8 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2034
The national debt would grow to over $39 trillion within a decade
Earlier this week, the Senate narrowly passed the measure after intense debate over the bill's $900 million cut to Medicaid. If the House makes any changes, the Senate would have to vote again, likely pushing approval past Trump's July 4 deadline.
Despite the hurdles, Republican leaders insist the package is essential to keeping the government solvent and advancing Trump's second-term agenda. Extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts
Cuts Medicaid and food assistance
Ends solar energy tax credits
Boosts funding for immigration enforcement
Raises debt ceiling by $5 trillion
Does not eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, despite Trump's claims
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
11 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump's CIA Backs 2016 Assessment That Putin Wanted Him to Win
A fresh CIA review agreed with earlier conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton - while criticizing what it called procedural flaws. Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe said he had ordered the review to focus on the earlier report's "most debated judgment - that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'aspired' to help then-candidate Donald Trump win the election." The report found no reason to retract that claim. "While the overall assessment was deemed defensible, the identified procedural anomalies and tradecraft issues highlight critical lessons for handling controversial or politically charged topics," it said. At the same time, the review highlighted the 2016 assessment's "analytic rigor." Intelligence And Military Officials Brief House Members On Israel Iran Conflict Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe The latest findings put Ratcliffe in a bind with Trump, who has called Russian election interference "a total hoax" and blasted the original conclusions. That dispute sits at the heart of his antagonistic relationship with the intelligence community. In declassifying and releasing the review on Wednesday, Ratcliffe didn't mention that it backed the earlier conclusion. Instead, he posted to X that that Obama-era officials "manipulated intelligence and silenced career professionals - all to get Trump." And the eight-page CIA note, dated June 26, waits until the bottom of the seventh page to mention that the original report's findings were sound - and then only under a section titled "Lessons Learned." Instead, it highlighted what it called "multiple procedural anomalies," including severe time constraints, limited information-sharing, and heightened scrutiny from senior officials. The CIA in 2016 concluded that the Russian government under President Vladimir Putin intervened in the election to boost Trump's candidacy against the Democratic Party's Hillary Clinton. Trump dismissed the assessment, saying at the time the US should move on instead of getting back at Russia. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies had reached a conclusion then that the Russian government directed a broad hacking operation to interfere in the elections and undermine confidence in US democracy, before morphing into a campaign to damage Clinton. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusation. Ratcliffe's report singled out former CIA Director John Brennan, who has become a target for President Donald Trump and his supporters, accusing him of showing "a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness" It faulted Brennan for demanding that the so-called Steele Dossier be included in the assessment. The review also included a note praising the earlier assessment's "strong adherence to tradecraft standards." It also said its conclusions also shouldn't be interpreted as suggesting the intelligence community's processes have bigger problems. Allegations of election interference prompted then President Barack Obama to impose sanctions on top Russian intelligence officials and expel diplomats. Read More: Who Suspects What in U.S. Probe of Russia Hacking: QuickTake Q&A "Agency heads at the time created a politically charged environment that triggered an atypical analytic process around an issue essential to our democracy," Ratcliffe said, adding that he declassified the report to "promote analytic objectivity and transparency."
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump's 'One Big, Beautiful Bill': What it does - Medicaid cuts, green funds rollback, reshapes tax system
US President Donald Trump (File photo) Republicans' massive new bill — called the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' by US President Donald Trump — has officially passed Congress and is heading to his desk to be signed into law, likely on July 4. A narrow victory in the House after heavy GOP push The bill brings major changes to taxes, healthcare, immigration, and more. It passed the House by a narrow 218–214 vote after hours of debate and negotiation. Trump personally pushed for the bill, meeting lawmakers and posting encouragement online. It marks a huge win for him and GOP leaders, who used their full control of government after the 2024 elections to pass it quickly. Permanent tax cuts and SALT deduction hike The bill makes Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent and adds new tax breaks for overtime pay and tipped workers. It also increases the cap on state and local tax deductions (known as SALT) from $10,000 to $40,000 for five years. However, these tax cuts are expected to increase the federal deficit by $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years. Big cuts to Medicaid According to CBS News, the bill makes deep cuts to Medicaid, the government health program for low-income and disabled Americans. Nearly 12 million people could lose coverage due to new work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The bill also blocks Medicaid from covering gender transition treatments and providing care to undocumented immigrants in some states. To reduce state spending on Medicaid, the bill slowly lowers the amount states can raise through 'provider taxes.' In response to concerns from GOP senators, the bill adds a $50 billion fund to help rural hospitals affected by these cuts. Food stamp program faces new restrictions Food assistance also takes a hit. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, will now require states to cover part of the costs if they have high error rates. The work requirement age will also be raised from 54 to 64 for able-bodied adults. Some states like Alaska and Hawaii can apply for waivers. Tougher immigration and border security meeting On immigration, the bill provides over $46 billion for building the border wall, $45 billion to expand immigrant detention, and $30 billion to boost staffing and training at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It also introduces a $100 fee for asylum seekers — down from $1,000, which was rejected by the Senate parliamentarian. Green programs funds rollback Another part of the bill targets clean energy. It ends tax credits for electric vehicles, home energy upgrades, and other green programs that were created under former President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. It also shuts down the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, though existing contracts will stay in place. The bill raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion to avoid a government default later this year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had warned that the US could run out of money by August unless Congress acted. There's also a change to the child tax credit. Instead of dropping from $2,000 to $1,000 in 2026, the credit will permanently increase to $2,200 — lower than what was proposed earlier. Tax breaks for tipped workers Meanwhile, tipped workers will be able to deduct up to $25,000 in tip income from federal taxes, though this benefit phases out for higher-income earners. Trump celebrated the bill on social media and plans to promote it during a July 4 event in Des Moines, Iowa. Democrats, who voted unanimously against it, say the bill harms vulnerable Americans and helps the wealthy. They see it as a key issue to campaign on for the 2026 elections.
News18
14 minutes ago
- News18
House Minority Leader Jeffries Gives Marathon Speech Criticizing Trump's Tax Cut Bill
There's no filibuster in the House, but Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries essentially conducted one held the House floor for more than eight hours Thursday, taking his 'sweet time' with a marathon floor speech that delayed passage of Republicans' massive tax and spending cuts legislation and gave his minority party a lengthy spotlight to excoriate what he called an 'immoral' bill. News18 Mobile App -
