President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on House Republicans still refusing to support his signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with his self-imposed July 4 deadline looming.
The bill’s multitrillion-dollar price tag and its projected expansion of the federal deficit remain sticking points for a handful of GOP lawmakers, putting final passage in jeopardy despite weeks of lobbying by Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!” Trump wrote in a fiery early-morning post on Truth Social Thursday.
In another post, he added:
“Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History and a Failed Economy. What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!”
Why It Matters
The House narrowly passed the original version of the bill in May, but significant revisions introduced in the Senate—where it scraped through Tuesday thanks to Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote—require a final sign-off in the lower chamber.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the updated 940-page legislation would increase the U.S. deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. It also includes a $5 trillion debt ceiling hike—reportedly the largest in U.S. history—fueling further outrage among fiscal conservatives.
Where Things Stand
Speaker Mike Johnson, a staunch Trump ally, has kept a crucial procedural vote open “as long as it takes,” insisting he’s “absolutely confident we are going to land this plane.”
As of midnight, five Republicans had joined all Democrats in voting against the measure. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the latest GOP defector. The vote finally passed just after 3 a.m. ET—but the full bill must still pass a final vote.
With a razor-thin GOP majority, Johnson can only afford to lose three Republican votes if Democrats remain united in opposition.
What’s in the Bill
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” includes:
- Permanent extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts
- Boost to the SALT deduction cap, raising it from $10,000 to $40,000, mostly aiding high-tax blue states
- Massive increases in defense and border security spending
- Deep cuts to Medicaid and food stamp programs
Democrats and some moderate Republicans have blasted the legislation as a giveaway to the wealthy at the expense of vulnerable Americans.
Musk vs. Trump
One of the bill’s fiercest critics is Trump’s former advisor and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who called the legislation “utterly insane and destructive” for raising the debt ceiling. Musk even floated the idea of founding a new “America Party” in response.
Trump responded by accusing Musk of hypocrisy, noting the billionaire’s companies are heavily reliant on federal subsidies.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history,” Trump posted, later refusing to rule out the possibility of deporting the South African-born mogul.
Political Fallout
Reactions to the bill remain deeply divided.
- Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Armed Services Committee Chair, praised it as delivering Trump’s “peace through strength” agenda.
- Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) denounced it as a “big, bloated bonanza bill for billionaires.”
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X: “Anyone who votes AGAINST the One Big Beautiful Bill is voting AGAINST: No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, No Tax on Social Security.”
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed Speaker Johnson as “a small, pathetic man,” accusing him of “selling out” 40% of his Louisiana district that relies on Medicaid.
What’s Next
With procedural hurdles cleared in the early hours of Thursday, the focus now shifts to whether Johnson can secure the remaining votes needed to pass the bill in full. If successful, it will head to President Trump’s desk for signing—just in time for a July 4 celebration.
