House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has President Donald Trump’s signature bill at the finish line.
During a marathon overnight session that at times appeared doomed, Republicans voted 219-213 at about 3:30 a.m. to send the bill to a final vote.
The late hour was not due to procedure, but rather indecision on the Republican side of the aisle. After five Republicans voted against the rule to proceed, coupled with a handful of Republicans who were holding out, Johnson had to scramble to not only find votes, but also get Republicans to switch theirs.
Just before midnight, Johnson said he would hold the vote open for as long as it needed, and started to whip votes, with a helping hand from Trump.
“Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy,” Trump posted as the legislation stalled. “What are Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY.”
Eventually, Johnson got enough votes to the House floor — and convinced one of the opponents, Kentucky’s Thomas Massie — to vote in favor of the rule. Johnson told reporters that Trump was intimately involved with getting the vote across the finish line, following the play-by-play as he whipped votes.
The final hurdle is a speech by the House’s top Democrat, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who began speaking just after the rule passed and, hours later, is still going. Though some expected him to speak for roughly an hour, Jeffries said in his speech: “I’m planning to take my sweet time.”
Jeffries is permitted to speak for as long as he wants, though all he can do is delay the vote, not stop a final vote from occurring. He’s filling his speech with testimonials from Americans on Medicaid and other social welfare programs that Democrats say would be imperiled by Trump’s spending legislation.
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Johnson had estimated that the final vote would take place at 8:30 a.m., but Jeffries was still going as the hour passed. Still, he appears set to meet Trump’s Independence Day deadline by a full day.
Passing the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” — which includes not only a major tax cut championed by Trump but also funds his biggest campaign promises — would be a major victory for the president. He had urged Republicans in Congress to put all of their priorities into one piece of legislation, and has been intimately involved in getting it through with narrow majorities in both chambers.
Trump says his legislation, which has been criticized by even some of his allies for not doing enough to reduce the deficit, will lead to unprecedented economic growth.
READ MORE: Trump White House Promises Massive Economic Growth In Final Push To Pass The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
“Nobody wants to talk about GROWTH, which will be the primary reason that the Big, Beautiful Bill will be one of the most successful pieces of legislation ever passed,” the president said on Wednesday. “THIS GROWTH has already begun at levels never seen before. Trillions of Dollars are now being invested into the USA, more than ever before.”
“Likewise,” he added, “hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs are filling up the coffers of Treasury. The Tariff money has already arrived and is setting new records! We are growing our way out of the Sleepy Joe Biden MESS that he and the Democrats left us, and it is happening much faster than anyone thought possible.”
As of 9:00 a.m., Jeffries was still talking on the House floor and again stated his intention to take his time. Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that Republicans who have been there overnight are falling further in line as they listen to his opposition.
“GOP Congressman just texted me: ‘I was undecided on the bill but then I watched Hakeem Jeffries performance and now I’m a firm yes,'” Vance wrote.