Trump notches 'big, beautiful' win following Jeffries' drawn-out spectacle

6 hours ago 1

President Donald Trump notches the first major legislative victory of his second term in office after months of tumultuous negotiations on Capitol Hill.

The House passed the final version of the "big, beautiful bill" Thursday in a 218-214 vote after a tense overnight rules vote that was finalized just after 3:20 in the morning. The bill passed with 218 Republicans voting in favor of the legislation, while Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvaniajoined 212 Democrats and voted against the bill.

Leading up to the final vote, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) gave a record-breaking eight-hour, 44-minute speech on the House floor to stall the vote, even putting a fellow Democratic lawmaker to sleep. Vice President JD Vance joked in a post on X that a GOP rep texted him about how Jeffries' speech swayed his vote.

“I was undecided on the bill but then I watched Hakeem Jeffries [sic] performance and now I’m a firm yes."

"Democrats are focused on performing," Speaker Mike Johnson said ahead of the vote. "Republicans are focused on delivering."

Although the bill has been embraced by the president and the majority of the MAGA coalition, Massie and Fitzpatrick are not the only ones who took issue with the legislation.

'This Independence Day will mark the beginning of America's golden age.'

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Leading up to the vote, several House Republicans argued the Senate had "watered down" the bill beyond recognition. Conservatives were particularly concerned that the Senate did not properly address removing Biden-era green energy subsidies as well as limiting Medicaid access for criminal illegal aliens.

Other Republicans, Massie in particular, maintained that the spending levels in the bill are unsustainable.

"There’s no such thing as a tax relief without spending cuts," Massie said. "Gov’t can reduce the tax rate, but the spending still must be paid for. Gov’t must borrow money (which raises interest rates & requires more taxes later) or print money (which causes inflation). Both hurt Americans."

Many of these conservatives who had reservations over the bill met with the president at the White House on Wednesday morning leading up to the vote. In the end, Johnson managed to get the bill across the finish line with just a fewvotes to spare. Notably, Johnson passed the first version of the bill in the House with a 215-214 vote.

Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Vance had to cast the tiebreaking vote in the Senate on Tuesday after three Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Rand Paul of Kentucky — voted against the bill. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was also a tough sell, calling it "one of the hardest votes" she has taken during her time in the Senate.

After a record-breaking 27-hour vote-a-rama, Murkowski came around and voted to pass the bill, although she said the "bill needs more work across chambers and is not ready for the President's desk."

Despite Murkowksi's plea to continue working on the legislation, the bill is headed right to the president's desk. Trump is expected to hold a signing ceremony at the White House on July 4.

"After years of failed policies, we stepped up to put Americans first and fulfilled our promises," Republican Rep. August Pfluger of Texas told Blaze News. "On July 4, 2025, we will return power to where it belongs — with the American people. This Independence Day will mark the beginning of America's golden age."

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