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- US House Republicans head toward final vote on Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill</p>
<p>Bo Erickson, Richard Cowan and David MorganJuly 3, 2025 at 5:42 AM</p>
<p>By Bo Erickson, Richard Cowan and David Morgan</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives advanced President Donald Trump's massive tax-cut and spending bill toward a final yes-or-no vote early on Thursday morning, appearing to overcome internal party divisions over its cost.</p>
<p>During a marathon overnight session, lawmakers cleared a final procedural hurdle needed to begin debate on the bill in a 219-213 vote at around 3:30 a.m. ET (0730 GMT). It was not clear when they would hold a final vote.</p>
<p>As dawn broke in Washington, the top House Democrat, Hakeem Jeffries, was well into what was turning into an hours-long speech, calling out Republican lawmakers by name as he blasted the package as a giveaway to the wealthiest Americans.</p>
<p>"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, a scathing reference to Trump's name for his signature legislation: One Big Beautiful Bill.</p>
<p>"The focus of this bill, the justification for all of the cuts that will hurt everyday Americans is to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires."</p>
<p>His remarks had echoes of Democratic Senator Cory Booker's record-setting April speech that accused Trump of "recklessly" challenging the nation's democratic institutions.</p>
<p>Democrats are united in opposition to the bill, but on their own lack the votes to stop the bill in the chamber, which is controlled 220-212 by Trump's Republicans.</p>
<p>Republicans can afford no more than three defections to get a final bill passed.</p>
<p>The past two weeks have shown deep Republican divides on the bill, which would add $3.4 trillion to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt and make major cuts to social programs including Medicaid.</p>
<p>Republican lawmakers have long railed against the growth of the debt, which has continued over the past two decades regardless of which party was in control in Washington.</p>
<p>A handful of Republican holdouts have objected to the bill. One, Senator Thom Tillis, opted not to seek re-election after voting against it. Nonetheless, Trump has succeeded in getting the votes to advance the legislation at each step of the way.</p>
<p>Votes in the House were held open for hours on Wednesday during the day and overnight as House Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House talked with reluctant members.</p>
<p>Johnson expressed optimism on Wednesday night, saying lawmakers had a "long, productive day" discussing the issues. He praised Trump for making phone calls to the holdouts through the early hours of Thursday morning.</p>
<p>"There couldn't be a more engaged and involved president," Johnson told reporters.</p>
<p>The Senate passed the legislation by the narrowest possible margin on Tuesday after intense debate on the bill's hefty price tag and $900 million in cuts to the Medicaid healthcare program for low-income Americans.</p>
<p>Any changes made by the House would require another Senate vote, which would make it all but impossible to meet Trump's self-imposed deadline of getting the legislation approved by the July 4 holiday.</p>
<p>The bill would raise the nation's debt ceiling by $5 trillion, a necessary step to avoid a devastating default later this summer.</p>
<p>The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that almost 12 million people could lose health insurance as a result of the bill.</p>
<p>The legislation contains most of Trump's top domestic priorities.</p>
<p>It would extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts, cut health and food safety net programs, fund Trump's immigration crackdown, and zero out many green-energy incentives. It also includes a $5 trillion increase in the nation's debt ceiling, which lawmakers must address in the coming months or risk a devastating default.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Bo Erickson, Richard Cowan and David MorganWriting by Andy SullivanEditing by Scott Malone and Frances Kerry)</p>
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