While Republican moderates in the House fear the cuts will damage their prospects of reelection next year, fiscal hawks chafed over savings that they say fall far short of what was promised.
Johnson had to negotiate tight margins, and could only lose a handful of lawmakers in the final vote, among more than two dozen who had earlier declared themselves open to rejecting Trump’s 869-page text.
Trump has spent weeks hitting the phones and hosting White House meetings to cajole lawmakers torn between angering welfare recipients at home and incurring the president’s wrath.
Democrats hope public opposition to the Bill will help them flip the House in the 2026 midterm election, pointing to data showing that it represents a huge redistribution of wealth from the poorest Americans to the richest.
Jeffries held the floor for his Democrats ahead of the final vote, as he told stories of everyday Americans who he argued would be harmed by Trump’s legislation.
“This Bill, this one big, ugly Bill – this reckless Republican budget, this disgusting abomination – is not about improving the quality of life of the American people,” he said.
After the Bill was passed, Trumps predecessor Joe Biden said it was “not only reckless – it’s cruel”.
Extra spending on the military and border security will be paid in part through ending clean energy and electric vehicle subsidies – a factor triggering a bitter public feud between Trump and former key advisor Elon Musk.
