What's on the line - the president's party has lost the House majority in four of the past five first Midterms
Republicans say their massive domestic policy agenda is too big to fail. On the other hand, they quietly acknowledge, it might be too big for voters to understand.
'I'll tell you, vampires are hard to kill. This bill is hard to kill,' Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina) told reporters after
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
In 4 July ceremony, Trump signs tax and spending bill into law
By Trevor Hunnicutt US President Donald Trump (C) shows his signature on the "Big Beautiful Bill Act" at the White House in Washington, DC, on 4 July, 2025. Photo: AFP / Pool US President Donald Trump has signed into law a massive package of tax and spending cuts at the White House, staging an outdoor ceremony on the Fourth of July holiday that took on the air of a Trump political rally. With military jets flying overhead and hundreds of supporters in attendance, Trump signed the bill one day after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly approved the signature legislation of the president's second term. The bill, which will fund Trump's immigration crackdown, make his 2017 tax cuts permanent, and is expected to knock millions of Americans off health insurance, was passed with a 218-214 vote after an emotional debate on the House floor. "I've never seen people so happy in our country because of that, because so many different groups of people are being taken care of: the military, civilians of all types, jobs of all types," Trump said at the ceremony, thanking House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for leading the bill through the two houses of Congress. "So you have the biggest tax cut, the biggest spending cut, the largest border security investment in American history," Trump said. Trump scheduled the ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House for the 4 July Independence Day holiday, replete with a flyover by stealth bombers and fighter jets like those that took part in the recent US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran. Hundreds of Trump supporters attended, including White House aides, members of Congress, and military families. After a speech that included boastful claims about the ascendance of America on his watch, Trump signed the bill, posed for pictures with Republican congressional leaders and members of his cabinet, and waded through the crowd of happy supporters. The bill's passage amounts to a big win for Trump and his Republican allies, who have argued it will boost economic growth, while largely dismissing a non-partisan analysis predicting it will add more than $3 trillion to the nation's $36.2 trillion debt. While some lawmakers in Trump's party expressed concerns over the bill's price tag and its hit to healthcare programs, in the end just two of the House's 220 Republicans voted against it, joining all 212 Democrats in opposition. The tense stand-off over the bill included a record-long floor speech by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who spoke for eight hours and 46 minutes, blasting the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy that would strip low-income Americans of federally-backed health insurance and food aid benefits. Democratic National Committee chairperson Ken Martin predicted the law would cost Republicans votes in congressional elections in 2026. "Today, Donald Trump sealed the fate of the Republican Party, cementing them as the party for billionaires and special interests - not working families," Martin said in a statement. "This legislation will hang around the necks of the GOP for years to come. This was a full betrayal of the American people. Today, we are putting Republicans on notice: you will lose your majority." - Reuters
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Guam Nuclear Radiation Survivors ‘Heartbroken' After Being Excluded From Compensation Bill
The president of the Pacific Association for Radiation Survivors (PARS) says the US Congress 'seems to not understand that we are no different than any state'. Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist People on Guam are 'disappointed' and 'heartbroken' that radiation exposure compensation is not being extended to them, the president of the Pacific Association for Radiation Survivors (PARS) says. Robert Celestial said he and others on Guam are disappointed for many reasons. 'Congress seems to not understand that we are no different than any state,' he told RNZ Pacific. 'We are human beings, we are affected in the same way they are. We are suffering the same way, we are greatly disappointed, heartbroken,' Celestial said. The extension to the United States Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) was part of Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' passed by Congress on Friday (Thursday, Washington time). Downwind compensation eligibility would extend to the entire states of Utah, Idaho and New Mexico, but Guam – which was included in an earlier version of the bill – was excluded. All claimants are eligible for US$100,000. Guam Republican congressman James Moylan attempted to make an amendment to include Guam before the bill reached the House floor earlier in the week. 'Guam has become a forgotten casualty of the nuclear era,' Moylan told the House Rules Committee. 'Federal agencies have confirmed that our island received measurable radiation exposure as a result of US nuclear testing in the Pacific and yet, despite this clear evidence, Guam remains excluded from RECA, a program that was designed specifically to address the harm caused by our nation's own policies. 'Guam is not asking for special treatment we are asking to be treated with dignity equal to the same recognition afforded to other downwind communities across our nation.' Moylan said his constituents are dying from cancers linked to radiation exposure. From 1946 to 1962, 67 nuclear bombs were detonated in the Marshall Islands, just under 2000 kilometres from Guam. New Mexico Democratic congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández supported Moylan, who said it was 'sad Guam and other communities were not included'. The RECA extension also excluded Colorado and Montana; Idaho was also for a time but this was amended. Celestial said he heard different rumours about why Guam was not included but nothing concrete. 'A lot of excuses were saying that it's going to cost too much. You know, Guam is going to put a burden on finances.' But Celestial said the cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office for Guam to be included was US$560m where Idaho was $1.4b. '[Money] can't be the reason that Guam got kicked out because we're the lowest on the totem pole for the amount of money it's going to cost to get us through in the bill.' The bill also extends to communities in certain zip codes in Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alaska, who were exposed to nuclear waste. Celestial said it's taken those states 30 years to be recognised and expects Guam to be eventually paid. He said Moylan would likely now submit a standalone bill with the other states that were not included. If that fails, he said Guam could be included in nuclear compensation through the National Defense Authorization Act in December, which is for military financial support. The RECA extension includes uranium workers employed from 1 January 1942 to 31 December 1990.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Guam Nuclear Radiation Survivors ‘Heartbroken' After Being Excluded From Compensation Bill
The president of the Pacific Association for Radiation Survivors (PARS) says the US Congress 'seems to not understand that we are no different than any state'. Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist People on Guam are 'disappointed' and 'heartbroken' that radiation exposure compensation is not being extended to them, the president of the Pacific Association for Radiation Survivors (PARS) says. Robert Celestial said he and others on Guam are disappointed for many reasons. 'Congress seems to not understand that we are no different than any state,' he told RNZ Pacific. 'We are human beings, we are affected in the same way they are. We are suffering the same way, we are greatly disappointed, heartbroken,' Celestial said. The extension to the United States Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) was part of Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' passed by Congress on Friday (Thursday, Washington time). Downwind compensation eligibility would extend to the entire states of Utah, Idaho and New Mexico, but Guam – which was included in an earlier version of the bill – was excluded. All claimants are eligible for US$100,000. Guam Republican congressman James Moylan attempted to make an amendment to include Guam before the bill reached the House floor earlier in the week. 'Guam has become a forgotten casualty of the nuclear era,' Moylan told the House Rules Committee. 'Federal agencies have confirmed that our island received measurable radiation exposure as a result of US nuclear testing in the Pacific and yet, despite this clear evidence, Guam remains excluded from RECA, a program that was designed specifically to address the harm caused by our nation's own policies. 'Guam is not asking for special treatment we are asking to be treated with dignity equal to the same recognition afforded to other downwind communities across our nation.' Moylan said his constituents are dying from cancers linked to radiation exposure. From 1946 to 1962, 67 nuclear bombs were detonated in the Marshall Islands, just under 2000 kilometres from Guam. New Mexico Democratic congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández supported Moylan, who said it was 'sad Guam and other communities were not included'. The RECA extension also excluded Colorado and Montana; Idaho was also for a time but this was amended. Celestial said he heard different rumours about why Guam was not included but nothing concrete. 'A lot of excuses were saying that it's going to cost too much. You know, Guam is going to put a burden on finances.' But Celestial said the cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office for Guam to be included was US$560m where Idaho was $1.4b. '[Money] can't be the reason that Guam got kicked out because we're the lowest on the totem pole for the amount of money it's going to cost to get us through in the bill.' The bill also extends to communities in certain zip codes in Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alaska, who were exposed to nuclear waste. Celestial said it's taken those states 30 years to be recognised and expects Guam to be eventually paid. He said Moylan would likely now submit a standalone bill with the other states that were not included. If that fails, he said Guam could be included in nuclear compensation through the National Defense Authorization Act in December, which is for military financial support. The RECA extension includes uranium workers employed from 1 January 1942 to 31 December 1990.
