Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Scrapes Through House, Faces Senate Showdown

Sarah Johnson
May 23, 2025
Brief
House passes Trump’s controversial ‘big, beautiful bill’ in a 215-214 vote, facing Senate battles over debt and policy. Political stakes soar.
In a dramatic, pre-dawn showdown, the House narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ by a razor-thin 215-214 vote, with Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., voting present. The marathon session, stretching into Thursday’s early hours, sparked fierce debate, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., slamming the bill as an attempt to ‘jam’ unpopular measures ‘down the throats of the American people.’ Yet, as the sun rose over Capitol Hill, the reality was clear: this was no covert operation but a high-stakes legislative sprint.
The bill, a cornerstone of Trump’s agenda, faced grueling all-night sessions, a rarity in recent congressional history. From a Sunday night House Budget Committee meeting at 10:26 p.m. to a 22-hour Rules Committee marathon, the process was relentless. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sealed the deal just before 7 a.m., but not without hiccups—like Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., reportedly dozing off during the vote. His nap wasn’t the only issue; New York Republicans fought hard for a better state and local tax (SALT) deduction, securing a partial win but leaving some dissatisfied.
Now, the bill heads to the Senate, where it’s already hitting turbulence. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., called it ‘completely unacceptable,’ vowing to vote no, while others, like Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., urged caution against rushing to meet Trump’s July 4 deadline. ‘We want to get it right,’ Justice said, echoing concerns about the bill’s fiscal impact, including a potential $5 trillion debt ceiling hike that has Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., balking. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned against illusions of reduced spending, noting, ‘We haven’t made major advancements here.’
Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., see political gold. Schumer predicted the bill could boost their chances of flipping the Senate in 2026, while Jeffries suggested the House vote might cost Republicans their majority. Both parties know this vote will loom large in midterm ads, with Democrats ready to spotlight its early-morning passage as a GOP overreach.
Trump’s agenda hinges on this bill, bundling much of his policy vision into one package. But with the Senate poised to rewrite it and fiscal hawks digging in, its fate is uncertain. Voters will ultimately decide if this ‘big, beautiful bill’ is a triumph or a misstep.
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Editor's Comments
This bill’s dawn passage felt like a political all-nighter—half the House was caffeinated, the other half dreaming of SALT deductions. Why did Rep. Garbarino snooze? Maybe he thought it was a lullaby vote! Meanwhile, the Senate’s gearing up to rewrite Trump’s masterpiece, proving even a ‘beautiful’ bill can’t escape Capitol Hill’s makeover. If this is Trump’s magnum opus, it’s got more plot twists than a soap opera—and the midterms will be the cliffhanger.
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