The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a sweeping budget reconciliation bill on Saturday, delivering a significant win for the Republican-controlled chamber and former President Donald Trump’s economic agenda. The legislation, which includes deep spending cuts and provisions to extend Trump-era tax reforms, now heads to the Senate, where it faces a more uncertain future.
The bill passed on a razor-thin 218-213 vote, reflecting sharp partisan divisions and internal negotiations among Republicans, some of whom had initially opposed key elements of the proposal. The legislation seeks to reduce federal spending by nearly $4 trillion over the next decade, while also making permanent several tax provisions originally passed in 2017.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) celebrated the passage as a “bold step toward restoring fiscal sanity” and reiterated the Republican commitment to shrinking the federal deficit. “This budget is a responsible framework that prioritizes American families, supports job creators, and reins in Washington’s out-of-control spending,” Johnson said in a post-vote press conference.
Key components of the bill include:
- Permanently extending individual and corporate tax cuts from the 2017 Trump tax law
- Imposing stricter work requirements for Medicaid and food assistance programs
- Reducing funding for the Internal Revenue Service and environmental programs
- Increasing defense spending and border security funding
- Capping annual discretionary spending growth at 1%
Democrats fiercely opposed the measure, calling it a giveaway to the wealthy and a threat to vulnerable communities. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said the bill would “gut the social safety net while enriching billionaires,” warning that it could trigger job losses, healthcare cuts, and economic inequality.
“This budget is an ideological weapon disguised as fiscal policy,” Jeffries said. “It does not reflect the values or needs of the American people.”
The bill was passed using the reconciliation process, which allows for expedited budget legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, bypassing the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Still, the bill’s fate remains unclear in the upper chamber, where several Republican senators have expressed concerns about the scope of the spending cuts and the lack of bipartisan consultation.
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) signaled hesitancy, saying she would push for amendments to protect Medicaid access and education funding. Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate are preparing counterproposals that may further delay the process.
The Biden administration strongly condemned the House bill, with the White House releasing a statement saying President Biden would veto the legislation if it reached his desk in its current form. “This bill is a reckless and extreme attempt to undermine the middle class and roll back progress on health care, climate action, and tax fairness,” the statement read.
Despite the controversy, the bill’s passage marks a political victory for House Republicans and Trump’s economic team, which has championed the legislation as part of a broader push to reshape the federal government’s role in the economy.
As the debate shifts to the Senate, the reconciliation bill has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing battle over fiscal policy, taxation, and America’s economic direction under divided government. The coming weeks are expected to bring intense negotiations, possible revisions, and mounting political stakes ahead of the 2026 midterm election cycle.
Source: The Washington Post
