President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” cleared a critical hurdle in the US House of Representatives on Thursday, passing narrowly with a 218-214 vote. The highly contentious bill secured passage just ahead of the Fourth of July deadline, despite two Republicans voting against their party and Democrats uniformly opposing it.
Earlier in the day, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered a record-breaking 8-hour, 44-minute speech on the House floor in a last-ditch effort to delay the vote and denounce what he called Trump’s “big ugly bill.”
“We have a big job to finish,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. “With one big beautiful bill we are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before.”
Republican Defections
The passage was not without cracks in GOP unity. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a known critic of the bill’s earlier version in May, once again voted ‘no’. He was joined by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who also sided with Democrats in opposing Trump’s sweeping spending and tax package.
Jeffries’ Marathon Protest
Taking full advantage of his leadership privilege, Hakeem Jeffries began his speech at 4:53 AM EDT and concluded at 1:37 PM EDT, using the time to read letters from constituents and detail how the bill would undermine healthcare and social support systems.
“We’re better than this,” Jeffries stated.
“I never thought that I’d be on the House floor saying that this is a crime scene. It’s a crime scene, going after the health, and the safety, and the well-being of the American people. And as Democrats, we want no part of it.”
Senate Passage and VP’s Tie-Breaker
The Senate had already passed the bill days earlier, with Vice President JD Vance casting the decisive tie-breaking vote. With a narrow Republican majority in the House, leadership had little margin for error to push the bill through.
The bill’s passage in both chambers now marks a major political win for Trump, but it sets the stage for intense debates and legal challenges, especially from Democrats who have vowed to resist its implementation.