A massive tax and spending bill has just been passed by the US House of Representatives.
The so-called mega-bill would extend tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term, end taxes on tips, and increase military and border spending.
The bill still needs to pass the Senate.
The package passed the House on party lines – 215 votes to 214.
“Legislation of this magnitude is truly nation shaping and life changing,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson before the vote, which capped an all-night debate.
“It’s the kind of transformational change that future generations will study one day.
“They’ll look back at this day as a turning point in American history.”
Many of US President Donald Trump’s top priorities are in the legislation: extending tax cuts passed in 2017, eliminating taxes on tips, spending more on defence and border security, and cutting government health care programmes.
The president has called his proposal a “big, beautiful, bill” – the measure is now officially known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the bill would add about $2.3tn (£1.7tn) to the US national debt over the next 10 years.
Trump campaigned on promises to reduce the US budget deficit – meaning the annual gap between the government’s tax revenue and its spending.
Now that the bill has won approval in the House, it will head to the Republican-led Senate, which could make its own changes.
Calling the bill the “GOP Tax Scam”, the Democrats have pledged to use “every tool at [their] disposal” to fight against it.
In a joint statement written by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, they say: “Donald Trump’s One Big Ugly Bill will mean millions of families will pay higher premiums, copays and deductibles.
“Hospitals will close, nursing homes will shut down and communities will suffer.”
The statement says the bill is “deeply unpopular” – accusing the Republicans of advancing it “during the dead of night”.
“For more than 28 hours, beginning with Rules Committee Ranking Member Jim McGovern, Democrats forced Republicans to debate this toxic legislation before the American people,” it continues.
“This fight is just beginning.”
Two House Republicans did not vote on Trump’s massive budget package, which passed with 215 votes to 214.
Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that those Republicans were Andrew Garbarino of New York and David Schweikert of Arizona, as reported by the New York Times and Politico.
Johnson said they missed the vote unintentionally – Garbarino fell asleep and Schweikert did not submit his voting card in time.
But a spokesperson for Garbarino told Politico: “After sitting through proceedings all night, the Congressman briefly stepped out and inadvertently missed the vote,” while Johnson said: “He fell asleep in the back, no kidding.”
