Among the lone holdout Republicans, Rep. Warren Davidson and Rep. Thomas Massie voted against the bill. Rep. Andy Harris, who leads the House Freedom Caucus, voted present. Rep. Andrew Garbarino and Rep. David Schweikert did not vote.
Some in the narrow GOP majority voted "yes" but with reservations. That scenario was evident in an X post by Rep. Keith Self, a second-term congressman from Texas. Self wrote he cast "the toughest vote of my career" when he voted yes, then describes how the bill fails to stop spending; could add $20 trillion in debt in 10 years; and fails to reform Medicaid.
Yet he voted for it anyway. "Celebrate President Trump’s major America-First wins in this bill, but know that our Republican-led Congress can and must do better," he concluded.
Some of the more conservative Republicans wanted deeper cuts to Medicaid, some demanded further reductions in green energy tax credits or quicker implementation of work requirements for Medicaid.
“The media and the Democrats have consistently dismissed any possibility of House Republicans succeeding in our mission to enact President (Donald) Trump’s America First agenda. Once again, they have been proven wrong,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement.
Speaker Johnson also claimed the bill’s current form includes reduced spending, permanently lowered taxes for families and job creators, plus border security and American energy enhancements.
But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
“I’m honestly baffled as to why any conservative would ever call a big bill beautiful,” John Cardillo, a GOP strategist, said on American Family Radio Thursday.
"I thought as conservatives, we were about small government and legislation as minimalist as possible," he said. "So, provisions to fund Obama, not just Biden's agenda, but Obama's agenda for decades, adding trillions to the debt ... it’s mind-blowing to me.”
Highlights of the bill include an increase of $10,000 to the deduction limit for state and local taxes, Medicaid work requirements that begin in 2026 and some clean energy tax credits being phased out sooner than first proposed.
But cuts to health, nutrition, education and clean energy cover only part of the bill’s cost, The New York Times reports.
In one example of behind-the-scenes negotiations, a Fox News story said some Republicans wanted to push the Medicaid work requirements to 2029. That was apparently a red line for the Freedom Caucus, however, and negotiations moved the date to 2026.
How will Senate respond?
“You’ve got conservatives out there going, ‘it’s big and beautiful,’” Cardillo told show host Jenna Ellis.
“This thing should be stripped, should be threatened,” Cardillo said. “We should figure out a way to enact line item vetoes. This is just preposterous to me.”
He’d like to see big changes in the Senate version but doesn’t expect them.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is considered more of a traditional Republican than a MAGA Republican. He’s at times been critical of Trump in the past.
Some in the MAGA movement opposed his election to majority leader, which took two ballots.
“I don't think he's going to do anything. I think he's a go along to get along,” Cardillo said.
Some conservative Republicans, Chip Roy of Texas for one, are approaching the House bill with cautious optimism, not celebrating it but seeing it more as a necessary means to an end.
In announcing his vote ahead of time, Roy said, “We’re going to work with the president today. We’re going to work with our colleagues to deliver, but there’s a long way to go. I want to be very clear. We’ve got to deliver on what we’re talking about.”
Rep highlights 2nd Amendment wins
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia is encouraged by new incentives for non-Medicaid expansion states and progress in limiting green energy subsidies.
Clyde has fought for “restoring Second Amendment rights which have been subject to unconstitutional infringements over the last 90 years.”
There are some Second Amendment wins, such as eliminating both the transfer and making tax for suppressors, as well as registration, Clyde wrote on social media.
But the bill does not eliminate taxation and registration of other types of weapons, and he wants more.
“We CANNOT give up. Next, this legislation will move to the Senate, providing opportunities for additional positive changes. I’ll be working closely with Senate Republicans to add this provision, and I encourage folks to stay engaged on this matter as the budget reconciliation process moves forward,” he wrote.
In the big picture, Clyde is pleased.
“I’m encouraged that we’ve strengthened and advanced the One Big Beautiful Bill, and I look forward to working toward getting this historic legislation to President Trump’s desk,” he wrote.
Cardillo: The laughter you hear is Jeffries
Cardillo is pessimistic, not pleased.
Advancing the bill to the House confirms his worst assessments of GOP politics at all levels.
“I hate to be the black pill doomsayer, but I have very little faith in Republicans down to the city council level up to the United States Congress. Hakeem Jeffries (House minority leader) is celebrating this morning. This guy is sitting over coffee and giggling at what he got in this bill.
“Every now and again we get a breath of fresh air from (Republicans) like Chip Roy or Tom Massie, and I’ve got to give credit to Ron Johnson, but we’re talking about a handful of people speaking up when the entire Republican Party should be speaking up. Mike Johnson pretty much gave the Democrats every single thing they wanted.”
