In a tight 216 to 214 vote on Thursday, House Republicans managed to pass their budget blueprint for this year’s major reconciliation legislation — overcoming fierce internal opposition and setting the stage for President Donald Trump’s long-promised legislative package, dubbed by allies as “one big, beautiful bill.”
The razor-thin margin reflected the deep divisions within the GOP, as party leaders worked around the clock to avoid a rebellion from fiscal hawks frustrated with what they view as insufficient Senate targets for spending cuts. Despite the tension, the budget's passage allows Congress to use the budget reconciliation process — a powerful tool that lets lawmakers bypass the Senate’s usual 60-vote threshold to pass bills with a simple majority.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) emerged from the vote with a major political win. Leading a narrow and sometimes unpredictable majority, Johnson managed to bring the fractious Republican caucus into alignment — at least for now. His success ensures that he and Senate Majority Leader John Cornyn (R-Texas) can begin assembling the legislative package that will become the cornerstone of President Trump’s domestic agenda.
“This is a critical first step,” Johnson said after the vote. “The American people sent us here to deliver results — on energy, on the border, on taxes — and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
The budget’s passage didn’t come easily. GOP leaders were forced to cancel a planned vote Wednesday evening after more than a dozen holdout Republicans threatened to tank the resolution. What followed were several hours of intense closed-door negotiations aimed at winning over conservatives demanding deeper cuts to federal spending. By Thursday morning, party leaders had secured enough support, though Representatives Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) still broke ranks to vote against the measure, joining a unanimous Democratic opposition.
For many fiscal conservatives, support came with a caveat: promises that the final reconciliation bill will include more aggressive cuts than those currently outlined.
“It is time for us to act so that we can get on with the real work,” said Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), a key voice in rallying support. “In passing this budget framework, we are unlocking the process to deliver on unleashing American energy production, permanently securing our southern and northern borders, and making tax cuts permanent for small businesses and working families.”
The GOP’s legislative blueprint outlines four top priorities: making elements of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, tightening border security, boosting defense spending, and expanding domestic energy production.
Still, the hard part is far from over.
Within the Senate, Republican moderates are already pushing back on proposed cuts to entitlement programs like Medicaid. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have voiced concerns that the bill’s initial targets go too far — setting the stage for potential intra-party clashes in the coming weeks.
Tax policy is also expected to be a major flashpoint. Disagreements are emerging over how to handle the state and local tax (SALT) deduction and how to implement Trump's campaign promises to exempt overtime pay, tips, and Social Security income from taxation. Meanwhile, a small but vocal group of debt hawks is floating the idea of increasing taxes on high earners to cover costs — an idea that Speaker Johnson has publicly dismissed.
“Generally, we’re trying to reduce taxes here,” Johnson said earlier this week. “Our focus is on growth and relief for working families.”
Despite the hurdles ahead, Thursday’s vote represents a key turning point in the GOP’s efforts to deliver a sweeping legislative win. The next challenge will be to write a reconciliation bill that can hold together the party’s broad ideological spectrum — and survive the scrutiny of a closely divided Senate.
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