Republican Rebels Fold After Trump Yells ‘MAGA IS NOT HAPPY’
The president’s signature bill cleared a key hurdle after hours of deadlock from conservative holdouts.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
House Republicans fell in line behind Donald Trump to let his “Big Beautiful Bill” advance to a floor vote early Thursday after the president spent the night raging against holdouts threatening to tank his agenda.
After hours of deadlock, all but one House Republican voted to pass the “rule,” a procedural measure which sets up the debate before a final vote on passing Trump’s bill, expected to take place later Thursday morning. House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed confidence that he will be able to get Trump’s agenda to his desk by the president’s July 4 deadline after the 219-213 vote, which saw almost all of the Republican holdouts flip to let the bill advance.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson was under huge pressure as the House debated right through the night.
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
The final vote comes after Trump spent the evening variously attacking and attempting to woo the rebels who initially stalled the megabill from advancing through the House.
“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!!!” Trump fumed on Truth Social. “FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!”
A total of five GOP lawmakers initially voted “no” on approving a rule required to kick off final debate and a vote on the megabill. Eight more Republicans withheld their votes, triggering hours of tense negotiations and pressure from Trump, Johnson, and other top GOP figures.
Several Republicans were outraged by changes to the bill made in the Senate, including revisions that would raise the national deficit to an estimated $3.3 trillion and major changes to Medicaid. Trump personally stepped in, calling some of the holdouts in the early hours of Thursday, including Indiana’s Victoria Spartz, Tennessee’s Tim Burchett, and Kentucky’s Thomas Massie, urging them to flip their votes.
Thomas Massie was one of the most ardent critics of the spending bill before eventually agreeing to back it.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Massie, one of just two House Republicans who originally opposed Trump’s spending bill in the lower chamber, told the president he’d back the bill if Trump stopped attacking him, according to The Hill.
In the end, all but one of the potential GOP spoilers changed course. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania remained the lone Republican to side with Democrats in voting against the rule allowing the bill to proceed to floor consideration. Just before the vote, Johnson huddled with the GOP holdouts on the House floor and led them in prayer, according to The Hill. The group then appeared friends again as they all posed for a selfie taken by Johnson.
The House will now proceed to debate the “Big Beautiful Bill,” with a final vote expected as early as Thursday morning. Trump and Johnson can afford only three Republican defections for the bill to clear the lower chamber and head to the president’s desk.
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In a post on X, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the Democrats will “keep pressure on” those seeking to pass Trump’s bill and “continue to do all we can to stop these extremists from gutting your healthcare.”
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