The signature piece of Donald Trump‘s legislative agenda cleared Congress on Thursday, as the House of Representatives gave its final approval after a marathon overnight session.
The vote was 218-214, with two Republicans. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) joining all Democrats in voting against it.
Trump is expected to sign the bill at the White House in a ceremony on Friday.
Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump worked through the night trying to convince holdouts, while they managed to flip almost all Republicans who initially voted to block the bill from even coming to the floor.
As things dragged on, Trump wrote shortly after midnight, “Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy. What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!”
Before the final vote, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave a speech that lasted for eight hours, 44 minutes and 25 seconds, breaking a record for longest floor speech in the chamber. As he spoke, C-SPAN added a timer on the side of its screen. Jeffries spoke 12 minutes longer than the previous record holder, then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in a 2021 speech.
Jeffries called the bill a “disgusting abomination” that will have far reaching consequences, threatening the economic security of lower income Americans. He called it a “crime scene” going after the “health and safety of the American people.” His speech also at times seemed like a kickoff to the midterms, as Democrats hope to hammer Republicans over their voters for the legislation.
“What our journey teaches us is that after Project 2025 comes Project 2026. And you will have an opportunity to end this national nightmare.”
After he finished, Johnson said, “It takes a lot longer to build a lie than to tell the simple truth.”
“Today there was performance for some of them, but today for us is about results, results that improve the lives of Americans, regardless of their race, religion, color or creed.”
The mammoth, 887-page legislation extends 2017 tax cuts, adds tens of billions for border security and immigration enforcement, allowing for increased deportations, and boosts defense spending. But the legislation also includes cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, rolls back clean energy credits and initiatives.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that it will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the next ten years. Elon Musk, once Trump’s highest profile ally, has warned again in recent days that the legislation would send the country into “debt slavery.” He also threatened to fund primary challengers to Republicans who voted for the legislation.
The CBO also says that 11.8 million would lose their health insurance under the legislation through 2034, reversing gains since the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
Polling has shown that the legislation is unpopular, albeit significant numbers of voters still do not know enough about it. The White House has been touting its tax cuts. They include new provisions for no taxes on tips and overtime. The break is capped at $25,000 for tips and $12,500 for overtime (or $25,000 for married filing jointly filers), and expires at the end of 2028.
The cap on the State and Local Income Tax deduction would be raised to $40,000 per year, for incomes up to $500,000. The cap will revert to $10,000 in 2030.
The legislation includes $257 million for repairs and restoration of the Kennedy Center, even as the Trump administration has sought to dismantle other cultural agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump engineered a takeover of the Kennedy Center shortly after he took office, firing Biden-appointees to its board and ensuring that he was elected chairman.
Also allocated is $40 million to purchase statues and construct a Garden of American Heroes, long a Trump priority.
The bill also added sound recordings to the list of Section 181 tax deductions that have been offered to film, TV and live theatrical productions.
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