House Advances Trump’s Tax and Spending Bill Amid GOP Division

President Donald Trump's expansive tax and spending bill, dubbed the 'one big, beautiful bill,' faced significant opposition within the Republican Party despite advancing in the House of Representatives. The bill, which includes extending the 2017 tax cuts and raising the debt limit by $3.8 trillion, passed narrowly with a 215-214-1 vote, but several Republicans, including Reps. Thomas Massie, Warren Davidson, and Andy Harris, expressed concerns over its impact on the national deficit and the lack of immediate federal spending cuts. Massie and Davidson criticized the bill for relying on future promises to cut spending rather than implementing reductions now, with Massie calling the fiscal projections 'fantasy math.' Additional opposition came from Reps. Ralph Norman and Chip Roy, who argued the bill did not go far enough in cutting spending or imposing immediate Medicaid work requirements, though Norman showed some openness after a speech by Trump. Speaker Mike Johnson remains optimistic about rallying enough Republican support, but internal GOP divisions and Democratic resistance make the bill's future uncertain. The legislation also includes controversial Medicaid provisions, aiming to impose work requirements by 2026, which remain a point of debate among lawmakers.