Donald Trump’s ambitious infrastructure megabill just passed the U.S. House of Representatives. This victory is a surprising, yet enormous win for the former president and his domestic agenda. Lawmakers across party lines supported the bill, which makes large cuts to social benefits and tax changes. This support was in large part thanks to reversal of earlier skepticism from some members of Trump’s own party.
Legislation costs money, and lots of it. It accomplishes this by eliminating hardwired food benefits and healthcare protections, as well as repealing tax breaks for clean energy initiatives. It sets aside $150 billion in military spending, including money for Trump’s planned “gold dome” missile defense shield. Furthermore, the bill allocates $150 billion for border security measures, including detention centers and immigration enforcement officers.
They don’t match the extreme scale of Trump’s megabill, which proposes extending tax cuts costing $4.5 trillion over the next decade. The bill provides for large security spending, including $150 billion for defense and $129 billion for border security. Notably, it aims to fulfill two of Trump’s major campaign promises: making the 2017 tax cuts permanent and lifting taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security recipients.
As expected, the reaction in the House during that vote was sharply divided. Representative Chip Roy, who had previously opposed the Senate version of the bill, shifted his stance and expressed satisfaction with the final outcome. He stated, “I feel like we got to a good result on key things.”
Only two lawmakers from Trump’s Republican Party voted against the bill: Thomas Massie and Brian Fitzpatrick. Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ procedural maneuvers delayed the passage. To hold up the vote, he gave an eight-hour and 45-minute speech, a record length of a speech in the chamber’s history.
The new House Speaker Mike Johnson made his way out of the House after that vote. He made a case for the necessity of belief in building enthusiasm with members of the party. Leaders on the Democratic side were quick to express their opposition to the bill’s effects. Nancy Pelosi criticized it as a “dangerous checklist of extreme Republican priorities,” while Deborah Ross condemned the decision to support the bill: “Shame on those who voted to hurt so many in the service of so few.”
To add to the intrigue, Trump himself had given Congress a hard deadline to produce the final bill before the Fourth of July recess. He wanted it prepared for his signature. The expected signing ceremony will coincide with the national holiday, indicating the administration’s eagerness to implement these sweeping changes swiftly.
Trump’s words speak to the do or die feeling with which his supporters have been operating. He exclaimed, “What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!”