President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” hit a roadblock in the House Budget Committee as conservative Republicans refused to back the massive spending and tax package. The failure highlights deep divisions within the GOP over fiscal priorities and border security demands.
– : Hardline conservatives demanded stricter rules for Medicaid recipients, including faster implementation of work requirements for non-disabled adults and children. Moderates resisted these changes, fearing backlash in swing districts.
– : Fiscal hawks argued the bill didn’t slash federal spending aggressively enough. Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Andrew Clyde (R-GA) criticized the legislation as “budget gimmickry” that failed to address deficit concerns.
– : Blue-state Republicans clashed with red-state colleagues over raising the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. A proposed $30,000 compromise satisfied neither side, creating gridlock.
Five Republicans — Roy, Ralph Norman (R-SC), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), and Clyde — joined Democrats to block the bill. Smucker flipped his vote to “no” strategically, preserving procedural options to revisit the legislation later. The House Freedom Caucus vowed to keep negotiating through the weekend, while Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) positioned himself as a “neutral umpire” trying to broker deals.
The Trump administration intensified calls for unity, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt urging Republicans to “seize this generational opportunity” and pass the bill before Memorial Day. Despite setbacks, GOP leaders plan to reconvene Sunday night in a last-ditch effort to salvage the package.
The showdown reveals ongoing tensions between Trump’s agenda and fiscal conservatives’ demands, testing the party’s ability to govern with a slim House majority.
