Washington, D.C.: Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, backed by billionaire Elon Musk, has declared that he has enough votes to block President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” when it reaches the final House vote, according to NOTUS reporter Reese Gorman on Wednesday.
The 54-year-old Republican lawmaker reportedly stated that he has secured at least 10 Republican votes to vote against the legislation, despite the Senate having passed the bill earlier this week.
According to Gorman, Rep. Massie “enthusiastically” claimed, “he has a ‘vote bloc of 10’” Republican members committed to opposing the expansive tax and spending bill. Elon Musk, who has publicly criticized the bill as a “debt bomb,” has pledged to fund primary challenges against Republicans who support it. Musk has also endorsed Massie’s re-election, despite open threats from Trump himself.
With the House GOP holding a narrow 218-217 majority, just four Republican defections would be enough to sink the bill—making Massie’s claim of 10 votes particularly significant. However, no official list of defectors has yet been released.
A procedural vote on Wednesday showed the amendment to rule from Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx with 211 “yes” votes and 212 “no” votes, with nine GOP members abstaining—a sign of real division within the party.
Earlier, all but five House Republicans—including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), John James (R-MI), and Chip Roy (R-TX)—had flipped to support the bill after revisions. Roy and Ralph Norman (R-SC) originally opposed the procedural vote but backed final passage after changes were made to Medicaid work requirements.
Meanwhile, House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), remain unanimously opposed. Massie and fellow GOP Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) also opposed the bill over deficit concerns.
“It’s a debt bomb ticking,” Massie said.
Davidson added that he was skeptical of “promises of future spending cuts” used to justify current outlays.
Potential Defectors
While Massie’s full bloc remains unnamed, the following Republicans are likely included among the 10:
- Thomas Massie (R-KY)
- Warren Davidson (R-OH)
- Andy Harris (R-MD)
- Chip Roy (R-TX)
- Ralph Norman (R-SC)
(No confirmations yet.)
About the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”
The legislation includes several major Republican priorities:
- Extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts
- Eliminates federal taxes on tips and overtime pay
- Raises the SALT cap to $40,000
- Allocates $175 billion for border security and deportations
- Cuts $700 billion from Medicaid and SNAP
- Adds an estimated $3.3–$4 trillion to the federal deficit
The bill passed the Senate with a 51-49 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Despite some Medicaid-related compromises, fiscal conservatives like Massie remain adamantly opposed.