President Trump on Friday signed a massive reconciliation package that will extend tax cuts and phase-in cuts to Medicaid, finalizing a significant legislative victory for his administration after months of difficult negotiations with Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Trump signed the one big, beautiful bill into law at a military family picnic at the White House for the Fourth of July. Trump and his aides had long pegged Independence Day as a deadline for when they hoped to see the legislation on his desk, a timeline that appeared in peril just days ago.
“We made promises, and it’s really promises made, promises kept, and we’ve kept them,” Trump said from the balcony overlooking the South Lawn of the White House. “This is a triumph of democracy on the birthday of democracy. And I have to say, the people are happy.”
Friday’s ceremony was attended by first lady Melania Trump, several Cabinet officials and numerous Republican lawmakers, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.).
The event was marked by other flourishes, including a flyover of two B-2 bombers, the same type of planes that carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last month.
The Senate passed its version of the bill early Tuesday morning, with Vice President Vance breaking a 50-50 tie after three Republicans voted no.
The House passed the bill without making any changes on Thursday afternoon after an hours-long slog to persuade a number of holdouts on a procedural vote. The final vote in the House was 218-214. Two Republicans voted against it.
Friday’s signing was an exclamation point to what has been a positive stretch for Trump in terms of foreign policy accomplishments, a strong jobs report and historic low numbers of apprehensions at the southern border.
“We’ve I think had probably the most successful almost six months as a president and the presidency,” Trump said. “I think they're saying it was the best six months, and I know for a fact they’re saying the last two weeks, there has never been anything like it as far as winning, winning, winning.”
The legislation contains numerous major campaign promises from Trump’s 2024 bid for the White House. It extends the tax cuts Trump signed into law in 2017, which were set to expire later this year.
It also eliminates some taxes on tipped wages and increases the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, which had emerged as one of the thorniest sticking points throughout negotiations.
The bill provides a $150 billion increase in funding for a border wall, immigration enforcement and deportations. It provides $150 billion in new defense spending for priorities like shipbuilding and a “Golden Dome” missile defense project.
It cuts incentives that promote green energy and expands domestic production of oil, coal and natural gas. It will hike the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, forestalling the threat of a federal default.
Democrats have seized on how the bill contains cuts to low-income health and nutrition programs — reductions designed to help offset the loss of revenues from the tax cuts but that are also expected to eliminate health coverage for millions of people.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Calif.) delivered a historically long speech on Friday railing against the bill and warning that it would hurt working families. Trump on Friday mocked Jeffries and dismissed Democratic criticisms as a “con job.”
White House officials have similarly waved off negative polling on the bill and argued the public will have a positive view of the legislation once Republicans have time to educate constituents on what’s in it.
Source link
