WASHINGTON—House Republicans narrowly approved the blueprint for President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” after a late push by party leaders won over some conservatives who had worried that the plan doesn’t force deep enough spending cuts.
The 216-214 on Thursday marks a major step forward for Trump’s legislative agenda, and notches a much-needed win for the White House after Trump put some of his tariffs on hold a day earlier. House passage of the measure unlocks a procedural fast track for a bill later this year that would extend expiring tax cuts, lower taxes even further and increase spending for border security and national defense.
“We’re certainly going to do everything we can to be as aggressive as possible,” Thune said.
Thursday’s vote, in many ways, was the easy part for Republicans, because party leaders were able to defer tough choices by telling lawmakers that this was just a process vote and that they could fight for more later.
Republicans will now attempt to write a bill that encompasses much of Trump’s legislative agenda, then try to steer it through the House and Senate with no more than three votes to spare in each chamber.
Republicans agree broadly on major planks, such as extending tax cuts from Trump’s first term that expire Dec. 31 and providing hundreds of billions of dollars for border security and national defense.
But they are sharply divided on spending cuts, particularly on Medicaid. Conservatives want to add work requirements and reduce the federal share of the expansion that occurred as part of Obamacare. But House moderates and some senators—including Susan Collins (R., Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) and Josh Hawley (R., Mo.)—have been pushing back against such changes.
