The “One Big Beautiful Bill” fell short in a House Budget Committee vote Friday, with conservatives on the panel arguing it does not cut federal spending enough.
Axios reported that the final tally was 16-21, as GOP Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Ralph Norman and Andrew Clyde of Georgia, and Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma joined all of the committee’s Democratic members in voting against the measure.
Additionally, Rep. Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania changed his vote from “yes” to “no” after it was clear the bill was going down.
He explained in a post on social media platform X, “To be clear—I fully support the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). My vote today in the Budget Committee is a procedural requirement to preserve the committee’s opportunity to reconsider the motion to advance OBBB.”
Ahead of the vote, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Republicans MUST UNITE behind, ‘THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!’ Not only does it cut Taxes for ALL Americans, but it will kick millions of Illegal Aliens off of Medicaid to PROTECT it for those who are the ones in real need.”
“The Country will suffer greatly without this Legislation, with their Taxes going up 65%,” he continued. “It will be blamed on the Democrats, but that doesn’t help our Voters. We don’t need ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ in the Republican Party. STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!”
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 05.16.25 10:07 AM EST pic.twitter.com/o7gHoqdIeX
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) May 16, 2025
Roy posted a chart created by the Committee for Responsible Federal Government showing that many of the spending cuts included in the OBBB are end-loaded, which suggests they may never happen because they will fall under the purview of future Congresses.
Would you like to see more drastic spending cuts?
“We were making progress, but the vote was called, and the problems were not resolved, so I voted no. I am staying in Washington this weekend to deliver. Medicaid Work requirements must start NOW not 2029 & the Green New Scam must be fully repealed, as President Trump called for,” the congressman wrote.
We were making progress, but the vote was called, and the problems were not resolved, so I voted no. I am staying in Washington this weekend to deliver. Medicaid Work requirements must start NOW not 2029 & the Green New Scam must be fully repealed, as President Trump called for. pic.twitter.com/2305O08E8M
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) May 16, 2025
He added in a post Thursday, “Right now, the House proposal fails to meet the moment. It does not meaningfully change spending (Medicaid expansion to able bodied, [Inflation Reduction Act] subsidies). Plus many of the decent provisions and cuts, don’t begin until 2029 and beyond. That is swamp accounting to dodge real savings.”
Right now, the House proposal fails to meet the moment. It does not meaningfully change spending (Medicaid expansion to able bodied, IRA subsidies).
Plus many of the decent provisions and cuts, don’t begin until 2029 and beyond. That is swamp accounting to dodge real savings. pic.twitter.com/fSCX7y1UAX
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) May 15, 2025
Meanwhile, the House Freedom Caucus posted, “Reps. Roy, Norman, Brecheen, Clyde and others continue to work in good faith to enact the President’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ — we were making progress before the vote in the Budget Committee and will continue negotiations to further improve the reconciliation package. We are not going anywhere and we will continue to work through the weekend.”
Reps. Roy, Norman, Brecheen, Clyde and others continue to work in good faith to enact the President’s “Big Beautiful Bill” — we were making progress before the vote in the Budget Committee and will continue negotiations to further improve the reconciliation package. We are not…
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) May 16, 2025
Republicans are calling for a work requirement to receive Medicaid, similar to that needed to be eligible for welfare, for those who are able-bodied.
In January, then-President Joe Biden’s White House published a fact sheet celebrating that a “record-breaking” number of people had obtained their health care under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which included the expansion of Medicaid eligibility.
“Medicaid covers about 80 million people. Thanks to the President’s leadership, over one million Americans in four states now have Medicaid expansion coverage, driving total ACA-related enrollment to over 45 million,” the document stated.
The cost of Medicaid in fiscal year 2019, before the pandemic, under President Donald Trump, was $409 billion. The price of the program during Biden’s last year in office was $618 billion.
While the Democrats are seeking to portray the Big, Beautiful Bill as a giveaway to the rich and corporations — as they also did the GOP Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 — many of the provisions are aimed right at working and potentially lower-income Americans.
We’re delivering President Trump’s promises to allow the economy to flourish:
✅No taxes on tips
✅No taxes on overtime
✅No taxes on loan interest for American-made cars
✅ Tax relief for seniors pic.twitter.com/3KWEHWZDzL— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 14, 2025
Those provisions include no tax on tips or overtime, an extra $4,000 to the standard deduction for people over 65, and increasing the child tax credit from $2,000 per child to $2,500.
Fox News reported that Speaker Mike Johnson wants to have the bill passed in the House by Memorial Day.
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