Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
House Approves Trump’s Agenda Bill, Heads to Senate
House Republicans narrowly passed President Trump’s “big, beautiful” agenda bill this Thursday morning, forwarding it to the Senate following a 30-hour push to secure support from both fiscal conservatives and blue-state moderates. The bill addresses key issues such as tax cuts, strengthens border security, and modifies Medicaid requirements.
The 215-214 vote allowed lawmakers to meet House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) objective of approving the legislation before the Memorial Day holiday. However, the bill is anticipated to face significant debate in the Senate. Senate Republicans have requested further expenditure reductions and insisted on maintaining existing Medicaid regulations.
Representatives Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky were the two Republicans who joined 212 Democrats in opposing the measure. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), a leader within the conservative House Freedom Caucus, voted “present.”
Key Provisions of the Approved Legislation
The bill approved this Thursday extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts while temporarily eliminating levies on qualified tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest payments. The measure does not eliminate taxes on Social Security income; instead, it provides seniors with an additional deduction.
Bill Components
Other provisions outlined in the bill include:
- Increasing the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to $20,000 for married individuals filing separately (with a $250,000 income limit) and $40,000 for other taxpayers (with a $500,000 income limit).
- Raising the debt ceiling by $4 trillion.
- Allocating $175 billion to border security, including $46.5 billion for the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border.
- Providing $150 billion in supplementary funding for defense, including:
- $25 billion for Trump’s space-based Golden Dome missile defense system.
- $34 billion to expand the Navy’s capacity and shipbuilding.
- $21 billion to replenish America’s ammunition stockpile.
- $5 billion for border security.
- Implementing an 80-hour-per-month work requirement, which can include volunteer work and school, for able-bodied adults aged 19-64 to be eligible for Medicaid.
- Extending SNAP work requirements for able-bodied adults without children through the age of 64.
- Establishing a fast-track system for permitting natural gas exploration if applicants pay either 1% of a project’s costs or $10 million, whichever is less.
- Ending the Biden administration’s mandate that two-thirds of new car sales be electric vehicles by 2032.
- Creation of “Trump” savings accounts for children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2029, with the government providing $1,000 in seed money.