On July 3, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” with a 218–214 vote, clearing the way for a July 4 signing.

Republican Opposition Fizzles Out

The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” on July 3, paving the way for its signing on Independence Day. The bill passed despite spirited efforts by the opposition to derail the process and two “nay” votes from Republicans Thomas Massie and Brian Fitzpatrick.

Passage of the bill came a few days after the U.S. Senate voted to advance the legislation, a decision that reignited Trump’s feud with billionaire Elon Musk. In that vote, Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina opposed the measure. In both instances, Republican opposition to the bill centered around the proposed deep Medicaid cuts and fears that it could increase the national debt and deficit.

However, unlike in the Senate vote in which U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance cast the deciding vote, the Republican Party was able to convince the last holdout Ralph Norman to toe the party line. Immediately following the 218 to 214 vote, the White House lauded it as a “great day” for America.

According to a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report citing the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), the bill will “likely massively increase the U.S. national debt.” After initially projecting the U.S. national debt to rise to 117% of the country’s GDP, the think tank said on July 2 that it estimates the bill would add $5.5 trillion to the debt if made permanent. This will effectively see the national debt rising from the current 100% of GDP to 127% by 2034.

Reacting to the bill’s passage, former U.S. President Joe Biden said the bill is not only reckless but “cruel.” Biden repeated the Democratic Party’s assertions that the bill “takes away health care from millions of Americans.” However, the White House said it is prepared to engage Democrats on this issue.

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