House works into the night as Republicans push ahead on Trump's big bill
[May 14, 2025]
By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tax breaks tallying more than $5 trillion — but also
sizable reductions in Medicaid health care, food stamps and green energy
strategies to fight climate change — faced sharp debate as House
lawmakers slogged through marathon overnight hearings on Republicans'
“big, beautiful bill.”
Tensions rose and emotions flared as the hours dragged on into early
Wednesday morning. House Republicans are working to push President
Donald Trump's signature legislative package through a gauntlet of
committees and mounting opposition from Democrats, advocacy groups and
even some wary Republicans themselves.
Right from the start, one meeting was immediately disrupted by
protesters shouting down what the panel's top Democrat called “cruel”
cuts to Medicaid.
“People feel very strong because they know they’re losing their health
care,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., on the Energy & Commerce
Committee, Tuesday afternoon.
And on it went. As midnight passed, two panels were still going,
processing more than 100 amendments from Democrats that were largely
failing, as Republicans marched ahead with their plan.
It’s the biggest political and legislative debate for the Republicans
leading Congress since Trump’s first term, setting up a career-defining
clash over the nation’s priorities, all coming at a time of economic
unease with Trump's trade war and other uncertainties.
Trump, speaking at a forum in the Middle East, struck an ambitious
chord, saying Congress was “on the verge of passing the largest tax cut
and regulation cut in American history."
"If we get that, that will be like a rocket ship for our country,” Trump
said in Saudi Arabia.
But to be sure, there are many more steps before the package becomes
law.
At its core, the goal for GOP lawmakers is to extend — and enhance — tax
cuts approved in 2017, adding the president’s 2024 campaign promises for
no taxes on tips, Social Security income and car loan interest.
There's also larger standard deduction, $32,000 for couples, a boost to
the Child Tax Credit and a potentially higher cap of $30,000 on state
and local tax deductions, known as SALT, that's still being negotiated.
That’s offset by $1.9 trillion in savings largely from the rollback of
green energy tax credits, for a net tally of $3.7 trillion in costs over
the decade, according to the most recent estimates — along with billions
more in savings from the safety net cuts
Additionally, the Republicans are boosting spending on their GOP
priorities, with $350 billion for Trump’s mass deportation plans and
funding for the Pentagon.
At the same time, the Republicans are seeking to defray the lost tax
revenue and avoid skyrocketing national deficits by with another GOP
goal, which is scaling back federal spending.
The Republicans are proposing cuts of nearly $800 billion over the
decade to the Medicaid health care program, which is used by 70 million
Americans; $290 billion to food aid in the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, known as SNAP; and others.
Tucked into the package is a smattering of other provisions important to
the White House — including one that would allow the Trump
administration to yank the tax exempt status of groups it says support
terrorists, sending a chill through civil society organizations who warn
it's a way to punish opponents.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of “jamming
another GOP tax scam” that benefits the wealthy at the expense of
programs and services used by many Americans.
Speaker Mike Johnson is determined to push the package through the House
by Memorial Day, sending it to the Senate, where Republicans are working
on their own version.
Johnson and his leadership team have been conferring constantly with
Trump at every step.
[to top of second column]
|
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he signs an
executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May
9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Rep. Jason Smith, the Republican chairman of the Ways & Means tax
writing committee said he met with Trump on Friday and went over the
tax provisions “line by line.”
“He was very happy with what we’re delivering,” Smith said.
On Tuesday, the final three of 11 House committees working on the
package launched what would become lengthy meetings drilling down on
some of the largest components.
Early on, Rep. Brett Guthrie, the Republican chairman of the Energy
& Commerce Committee, banned lawmakers from accusing colleagues of
“lying.”
As the minority party in Congress, Democrats are unable to stop the
bill on their own, but used the procedural tools to slow down the
process.
Democrats put up posters of constituents with the words “Medicaid
Matters.” One, Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas, put one on speakerphone to
share her story — until her testimony was ruled out of order.
The U.S. Capitol Police said 26 people were arrested in the Rayburn
House Office Building where the panel was meeting.
Estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office show that
at least 7.6 million people could lose health insurance with the
Medicaid cuts, and potentially more with the changes to the
Affordable Care Act. Mostly, the health care changes involve
imposing new work requirements for aid recipients, starting Jan. 1,
2029.
But Republican Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama said his side is trying
to make the health care program work better by rooting out waste and
inefficiencies.
“We're trying to save Medicaid,” he said.
At the Ways & Means committee Democrats offered amendments into the
night — to provide taxpayers relief from Trump’s tariff policies,
enhance a child tax credit, and others that were all being turned
back by Republicans.
As the Agriculture Committee began its work, CBO also told lawmakers
the work requirements for SNAP would reduce participation by roughly
3 million people in an average month.
Republicans are working to resolve dissent within their own ranks,
which shows the pressure points ahead.
Smith suggested that some changes could be made to the bill to win
over those high-tax state lawmakers from New York and California who
believe the proposed SALT cap is inadequate.
“There’s a little bit of wiggle room there to try to deliver
additional priorities," Smith said.
But Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., said after an hourlong meeting with
the speaker and staff that they were “still far from a deal.”
With the slimmest majority in the House, Johnson has just a few
votes to spare, and is running into resistance from his party,
including lawmakers in the Senate, which also has thin GOP margins.
The lawmakers are racing for a July 4 deadline to have the whole
package sent to Trump’s desk in time to also avoid a dangerous debt
default. The Treasury Secretary has said federal tax revenues are
running short and Congress needs to raise the spending limit to keep
paying the bills.
The package includes a $4 trillion boost to the nation’s now $36
trillion debt limit, enough to fund operations past the 2026 midterm
election.
___
Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Leah Askarinam
contributed to this report.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
