United States President Donald Trump’s signature tax and spending bill passed through Congress on Thursday, meaning it was ready to be signed into law by the 47th president.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives earlier launched a final yes-or-no vote on the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ after the chamber’s top Democrat delayed action with a record-breaking speech that lasted more than eight hours.
Republicans called the vote after a marathon overnight session in which they cleared a procedural hurdle, setting the stage for final passage.
“Now we are finally ready to fulfil our promise to the American people,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said on the House floor.
Republicans control the chamber 220-212 and can afford to lose no more than three votes from their side.
The bill would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, cut healthcare and food safety net programmes, fund the president’s immigration crackdown and eliminate many green-energy incentives.
It also includes a $5 trillion increase in the nation’s debt ceiling, which lawmakers must address in the coming months to avert a devastating default.
Republicans broadly support the bill, which contains most of Trump’s domestic priorities, saying it would spur economic growth and deliver tax breaks to Americans across the economic spectrum.
Democrats are united in opposition to the bill but lack the votes to stop it.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy in an eight-hour, 46-minute speech that set a new record for the chamber.
“This disgusting abomination is not about improving the quality of life of the American people,” he said. “The focus of this bill, the justification for all of the cuts that will hurt everyday Americans, is to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires.”
Jeffries’ speech recalled a record-setting April speech by Democratic Senator Cory Booker that accused Trump of “recklessly” challenging the nation’s democratic institutions.
The past two weeks have shown deep Republican divides on the bill, which would add $3.4tr to the nation’s $36.2tr debt. That debt has grown steadily over the past two decades, regardless of which party was in control in Washington.
The bill also makes major cuts to social programmes, including Medicaid, ultimately leaving nearly 12 million Americans without health insurance. Rural hospitals have warned that this could force them to scale back service, prompting Republicans to add $50 billion to help keep them afloat.
A handful of Republican holdouts have objected to the bill. One, Senator Thom Tillis, opted not to seek re-election after voting against it.
Nonetheless, Trump has succeeded in getting the votes to advance the legislation at each step of the way. The Senate passed the legislation by the narrowest possible margin on Tuesday.