House passes President Trump’s big tax bill

By WDIO/The Associated Press

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., left, speaks in the House chamber as House Democrats stand to applaud him, prior to the final vote for President Donald Trump's signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, at the Capitol, Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

House Republicans helped push President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to its final congressional passage Thursday, July 3rd

The tight vote, 218-214, came at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed.

“We have a big job to finish,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “With one big beautiful bill we are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before.”

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) immediately voiced her displeasure, releasing a statement saying in part, “Today, Republicans chose to put their super-rich friends over working families. They chose to gut Medicaid, decimate our rural hospitals, and terminate health care for 17 million Americans – including more than 250,000 Wisconsinites. They chose to take food from hungry families and raise the cost of going to the grocery store for millions more. These are choices that Donald Trump and Republicans made because they wanted to rig our tax code for big corporations and the wealthiest in our country.”

Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), who voted “Yes” on the bill, said this bill was a good step towards a better future.

“The top priorities going into this election were clear: secure the border and deliver relief to hardworking families. This bill keeps those promises by providing tax cuts for seniors, parents, workers, and small businesses, removing those here illegally, and rewarding hard work. We can’t reverse four years of damage with a single bill, but this is a strong first step toward a better future. I remain committed to protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for our seniors and the most vulnerable, while rooting out waste and curbing the reckless spending that threatens future generations.”

Rep. Pete Stauber (R-M) also voted “Yes” on the bill, provided the following statement:

“In November, the American people elected President Trump and gave him the majorities in both the House and Senate with a clear mandate: to restore safety and unleash prosperity across our nation. Today, the House took a significant step in enacting the American people’s agenda, and I am proud to have helped deliver this historic legislation to the President’s desk. President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill will put America’s families and workers first by delivering the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history, unleashing American energy dominance, permanently securing our borders, modernizing air traffic control, and strengthening our military. I look forward to seeing the One Big, Beautiful Bill deliver a new Golden Age for the American people.”

The package prioritizes $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in 2017 during Trump’s first term that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. This includes allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.

There’s also an investment of around $350 billion in national security, for Trump’s deportation agenda, and to help develop the “Golden Dome” defensive system over the U.S.

To help offset the lost tax revenue, the package includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to the Medicaid health care and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a major rollback of green energy tax credits.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.

The bill will now go the president’s desk for his signature.