By Sherwin Bryce-Pease
The US House of Representatives has narrowly passed a sweeping tax and spending bill, a final hurdle before sending the legislation to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law.
Democrats remained united in their opposition to the legislation, which the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated would add some 3 trillion dollars to the country鈥檚 debt, but that was not enough to overcome slim but decisive Republican majorities in both the Senate and the House.
The passage gave President Donald Trump his biggest legislative win since returning to the White House and funds key priorities, including tax cuts, border security and immigration enforcement.
President Trump dubbed it the one big, beautiful bill and its passage by a single tie breaker vote cast by the Vice President in the Senate after a 50-50 split and by just four votes in the House 218-214, ensuring a partisan effort that received not a single vote from a Democrat in either Chamber.
Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson says the Megabill is going to make the country stronger.
鈥淲ith one big, beautiful bill, we are going to make this country stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before. And every American is going to benefit from that. Today, we are laying a key cornerstone of America鈥檚 new golden age.鈥
Republican Majority Senate Leader John Thune echoed his view, saying the Bill is going to deliver on a number of priorities.
鈥淲e have before us today a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver legislation to create a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America. In one bill, we can deliver on a number of priorities: tax relief for hard-working Americans, economic growth, a stronger national defense, a more secure border, and a more reliable energy supply.鈥
The legislation includes 鈥 tens of billions of dollars for construction of a border wall and to expand detention capacity for undocumented immigrants held in custody, 4.5 trillion dollars in tax cuts, cuts to Medicaid a federal and state program that provides health coverage for millions of poor, elderly and disabled Americans, cuts to food assistance for the poor, a rollback of tax breaks to boost green energy projects while the legislation would raise the country鈥檚 debt limit by 5 trillion dollars among a host of measures.
The Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in an effort to delay the vote, took the House floor and spoke for a record 8 hours and 33 minutes, denouncing the legislation as a big, ugly bill and a giveaway to the wealthiest Americans at the expense of those more vulnerable.
鈥淒on鈥檛 ever lecture us about fiscal responsibility. Not now, not ever, Mr. Speaker, Republicans are not the party of fiscal responsibility. You are the party of fiscal irresponsibility. Over and over and over again. And now with this bill, you鈥檝e taken it to another level. This bill represents the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. It will devastate vulnerable populations all across America.鈥
Senate Democrats also weighed in through Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. 鈥淚n one fell swoop, Republicans passed the biggest tax break for billionaires ever seen, paid for by ripping away healthcare for millions of people and taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids. This is not a big, beautiful bill at all. That鈥檚 why I moved to the floor to strike the title. It is now called 鈥淭he Act鈥. That鈥檚 all it鈥檚 called. But it is really the big, ugly betrayal and the American people know it.鈥
Former Trump ally Elon Musk has sharply criticised the bill due to estimates that it would add trillions to the country鈥檚 deficit, threatening to work against Republicans who voted for the legislation and to start a new political party. Those views placed him at odds with the President, who once said Musk knew the inner workings of this bill better than everyone earlier last month.
鈥淚鈥檓 very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here. Better than you people. He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden, he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we鈥檙e going to have to cut the EV mandate, because that鈥檚 billions and billions of dollars and it really is unfair,鈥 said Trump.
The bill will now head to President Trump鈥檚 desk, where he鈥檚 expected to sign it on Friday, which is Independence Day in the United States, with the legislative process meeting a key deadline set by President Trump to have to bill on his desk by July 4th.
And as a key peg of his domestic agenda, expect quite a celebratory affair when this legislation becomes law in a major victory for both Republicans and this White House.