Republicans in the United States House of Representatives approved the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill" this Thursday, the budget bill promoted by President Donald Trump, thus concluding months of intense negotiations that began after last year's elections.
With a narrow vote of 218 to 214, the broad package of tax cuts and spending reductions represented a key victory not only for Trump, but also for the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and for the Senate Majority Leader, John Thune. Both managed to align the moderate and more radical sectors of the Republican Party, despite internal tensions.
In the end, only two Republican lawmakers in the House and three in the Senate voted against the bill, which was approved in the Upper Chamber earlier in the week thanks to the decisive vote of Vice President JD Vance.
Donald Trump, presidente de Estados Unidos.
The approved budget bill
In line with the agenda, Trump's budget seeks to consolidate an economic model that encourages production and employment through lower tax pressure, while strengthening state control over illegal immigration and reducing the scope of welfare programs.
The approved bill includes a tax cut totaling an estimated $4.5 trillion over the next decade, making the 2017 tax reductions permanent and adding new incentives, such as the elimination of taxes on tips. This reform aims to boost domestic consumption and provide greater predictability to the private sector.
In this context, spending cuts of $1.2 trillion are introduced in programs such as Medicaid and food assistance, applying stricter work requirements for beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the budget includes an investment of $350 billion in national security, including a strengthening of mass deportation policies and the implementation of new fees for irregular immigrants, which will partially help finance these operations.
Donald Trump, presidente de Estados Unidos.
In the days leading up to the vote, Trump was very active on social media, thanking lawmakers who supported the proposal, praising the bill in interviews, and warning that he'd support primary challengers against Republicans who opposed its approval.
"The biggest tax cuts in history and a booming economy versus the biggest tax increase in history and a failed economy," wrote Donald Trump, comparing his policy to that of the Democratic Party, shortly after midnight, at a time when it was still unclear whether the bill would be approved. "What are Republicans waiting for? What do you want to prove? The MAGA movement is upset and you're losing votes!!!" he warned.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, stated during his speech in the chamber that the legislation was a direct consequence of the outcome of the November election, when citizens handed the Republican Party control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as the White House.
"Those elections were decisive. They were a benchmark. It was a moment to choose," Johnson declared. "I'll tell you one thing: the American people overwhelmingly chose the Republican Party," he added.
