Recent Democrat Deaths May Have Helped Mike Johnson Get Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Over Finish Line
'one big, beautiful bill'
Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' narrowly passes the House, notching another win for Johnson
The House worked through the night to narrowly pass President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" early Thursday morning after another tumultuous week on Capitol Hill.
The bill passed in a 215-214 vote, with one member, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.), voting present. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio were the lone "no" votes on the bill, and Republican Reps. Andrew Garbarino of New York and David Schweikert of Arizona refrained from voting altogether.
The bill's passage has proven to be another impressive feat for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who dealt with uncertainty and skepticism within the Republican conference leading up to the vote.
'Once again, they have been proven wrong.'
RELATED: Spending hawks dig their heels in as White House battles to keep 'big, beautiful bill' afloat
🚨THE “BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL” HAS JUST PASSED THE HOUSE pic.twitter.com/Ae19tZgaQN
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 22, 2025
"The media and the Democrats have consistently dismissed any possibility of House Republicans succeeding in our mission to enact President Trump's America First agenda," Johnson said in a statement. "Once again, they have been proven wrong."
To the speaker's point, Johnson spent the last few weeks homing in on a balancing point that would eventually satisfy as many Republicans as he needed to get this bill passed. Fiscal hawks like Harris and Republican Rep. Chip Roy (Texas) fought for meaningful spending cuts, legitimate Medicaid reform, and eliminating IRA subsidies before they signed off on the bill. They even met with the president alongside HFC colleagues on Wednesday after Trump's Capitol Hill appearance failed to persuade them.
Johnson was also dealing with the SALT Caucus Republicans, who kept refusing overly generous offers to raise the cap on state and local deductions for their blue states. The SALT Caucus eventually accepted Johnson's offer to raise the cap to $40,000, which quadruples the current $10,000 cap.
RELATED: Senate unanimously codifies Trump's 'No Tax on Tips' policy
Now that Republicans have successfully passed this bill before their ambitious Memorial Day deadline, it is up to the Senate to take up reconciliation.
"We look forward to the Senate's timely consideration of this once-in-a-generation legislation and stand ready to continue our work together to deliver the one big, beautiful bill to the president's desk," Johnson said in the statement.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Spending hawks dig their heels in as White House battles to keep 'big, beautiful bill' afloat
Tensions are running high in Congress as the White House keeps pressuring fiscal conservatives to get on board with President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill."
Despite Trump's Hail Mary pitch to Republicans, specifically fiscal conservatives, Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill, reconciliation talks seem to be going south. While the Rules Committee wraps up its overnight markup, Republicans are still looking for the off-ramp to get their bill passed.
The whole process has been consumed by Republican factions making incompatible demands. The SALT Caucus Republicans were offered a tentative, and very generous, $40,000 cap for state and local tax deductions. Meanwhile, some members of the House Freedom Caucus have pushed for earlier implementation of Medicaid work requirements.
Although both factions made progress toward their respective goals, it still seems like nobody is happy.
'We're going to work with our colleagues to deliver, but there's a long way to go.'
RELATED: Trump pressures House Republican holdouts as reconciliation talks intensify
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas have been two of the most outspoken voices within the conference advocating for fiscal responsibility. Although both acknowledged that moving work requirements to an earlier date rather than the original 2029 implementation was a step in the right direction, they remain unpersuaded by Republican leadership and even the president.
"Look, we are greatly encouraged by the progress that's been made in the last 24 hours," Harris said during a presser Wednesday. "... I'm not sure this can be done this week. I'm pretty confident it can be done in 10 days.”
"We're going to work with the president today," Roy said during the presser. "We're going to work with our colleagues to deliver, but there's a long way to go. I want to be very clear. We've got to deliver on what we're talking about, but we're not going to be able to get the bill done, and that's what we're trying to achieve.”
Harris told reporters that they initially struck a deal with the White House last night but that they've since walked away from the agreement. A White House official countered the claim and said the administration offered Harris and other spending hawks an array of policy options that the president would allow on the condition that they are able to get the votes.
Trump is now set to meet face-to-face with the House Freedom Caucus and Republican leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.). Notably, Emmer has not yet scheduled the floor vote as, the fate of Trump's bill hangs in the balance.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Beloved Democrat lawmaker passes away after battling illness
Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia passed away on Wednesday at the age of 75 after battling esophageal cancer, according to a statement released by his family.
Connolly, who dedicated his life to public service, passed away peacefully in his Virginia home surrounded by his family, the statement said. Connolly spent 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and 17 years as a member of Congress.
'We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion.'
RELATED: Trump pressures House Republican holdouts as reconciliation talks intensify
"Gerry lived his life to give back to others and make our community better," Connolly's family said in a statement. "He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. He always stood up for what is right and just. He was a skilled statesman on the international stage, an accomplished legislator in Congress, a visionary executive on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a fierce defender of democracy, an environmental champion, and a mentor to so many."
"But more important than his accomplishments in elected office, Gerry lived by the ethos of 'bloom where you are planted,'" the statement reads. "From the Silver Line to the Oakton Library, Mosaic District to the Cross County Trail and beyond, his legacy now colors our region."
Connolly eventually rose to ranking member in the House Oversight Committee but announced last month that he would be stepping down after his cancer returned. Connolly had been elected to the position in December against Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York despite his diagnosis.
Democrats and Republicans alike mourned Connolly's passing, remembering the friendships he had on both sides of the aisle.
RELATED: Senate unanimously codifies Trump's 'No Tax on Tips' policy
“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Ranking Member Gerry Connolly," House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a statement. "He was a dedicated public servant who represented Virginia’s 11th Congressional District with honor and integrity. We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”
"We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose and his passion," the family statement continued. "His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but we are proud that his life's work will endure for future generations."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Senate unanimously codifies Trump's 'No Tax on Tips' policy
The Senate unanimously passed President Donald Trump's popular policy eliminating federal income taxes on tipped wages, fulfilling yet another campaign promise.
The No Tax on Tips Act passed with 100 votes in the Senate on Tuesday, with Republican Sen. Ted Cuz of Texas and Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada spearheading the legislation. Trump campaigned on this very issue, and it has become a popular feature of his "big, beautiful bill" in the House, marking another bipartisan win for Americans.
'This legislation will have a lasting impact on millions of Americans by protecting the hard-earned dollars of blue-collar workers, the very people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck.'
RELATED: Trump pressures House Republican holdouts as reconciliation talks intensify
THE US SENATE HAS PASSED TRUMP’S “NO TAX ON TIPS” POLICY 100-0
WINNING 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Psrw5pg1KW
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 20, 2025
"President Trump made a promise to the American people that he would eliminate taxes on tips," Cruz said in a statement following the bill's passage. "In Congress, I formed a bipartisan, bicameral coalition to get that done, and in the Senate introduced the No Tax on Tips Act. Today, I went with Senator Rosen to the floor to secure Senate passage of the bill."
"This legislation will have a lasting impact on millions of Americans by protecting the hard-earned dollars of blue- collar workers, the very people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck," Cruz added. "I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this important bill and send it to the President's desk to be signed into law."
It's not just Trump allies championing this bill. Although Rosen couldn't resist making a jab at the president, she ultimately embraced the legislation as a victory for her constituents.
"For so many service and hospitality workers, tips aren't extra, it's part of their income that they use to make ends meet," Rosen said. "Tips are how Nevadans pay their rent, cover their groceries, take care of their families, their kids."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Trump pressures House Republican holdouts as reconciliation talks intensify
President Donald Trump made a much-needed appearance on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning as more and more House Republicans turn on the "big, beautiful bill."
Trump met with the House Republican conference alongside Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has been working around the clock to make sure reconciliation can pass. But with just two Republican votes to spare and multiple unresolved policy negotiations, the fate of the bill still remains in the balance.
'Anybody that didn't support it, as a Republican, I would consider a fool.'
POTUS gaggles with reporters after meeting with House Rs on reconciliation.
Trump says “anybody that didn’t support it, as a Republican, I would consider to be a fool.”
Several House Rs remained a “no” after the meeting.@theblaze pic.twitter.com/SdV3K5x9mZ
— Rebeka Zeljko (@rebekazeljko) May 20, 2025
During the meeting, Trump made it clear that he was losing his patience with Republican defectors and even suggested they should be primaried. Trump told members not to let SALT negotiations get in the way of reconciliation, even calling out Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York during the meeting.
Lawler notably rejected Johnson's latest — and very generous — offer to increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000, which is a $10,000 increase from the originally proposed cap.
Trump also called out fiscal hawks, specifically Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has maintained that he won't vote for the bill. However, Massie was not alone, with multiple House Republicans saying their views on the bill have not changed.
"Anybody that didn't support it, as a Republican, I would consider a fool," Trump told reporters after the meeting. "It's a great bill for America."
RELATED: Why the GOP is so frustrated trying to negotiate with the ‘SALT Caucus’
At the same time, House Freedom Caucus members, like Republican Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Andy Harris of Maryland, still weren't persuaded by the president.
"We all are here to advance the agenda that the President ran on and that we all ran on," Roy said following the meeting. "I don't think the bill is exactly where it needs to be, yet. We need to extend the Trump tax cuts, but we also need to deliver on the spending restraint ... I think Congress can do a better job."
"The president, I don't think, convinced enough people that the bill is adequate, the way it is," Harris said. "President called for eliminating waste, fraud, abuse in Medicaid, and we have not eliminated waste, fraud, and abuse."
Johnson made progress with fiscal conservatives over the weekend when the bill passed through the Budget Committee Sunday night after initially failing a vote on Friday. Leading up to the vote, Johnson met with the Republican holdouts and floated a 2026 start date for Medicaid work requirements rather than the original 2029 implementation date. As a result, four Republicans, including Roy, voted "present" and allowed the bill to advance.
Trump addressed Medicaid during the meeting, telling members not to "f*** around" with the program with the exception of mitigating fraud, waste, and abuse.
"The only thing we're cutting is waste, fraud, and abuse," Trump said. "We're not changing Medicaid, and we're not changing Medicare, and we're not changing Social Security.”
Although Republican defectors seem to be digging their heels in, Trump remained optimistic about the future of his bill.
"I think we're in good shape," Trump told reporters. "This was a meeting of love. There is great unity in that room."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com