CV NEWS FEED // President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and immigration bill was blocked Friday after five House Republicans joined Democrats to oppose it in the House Budget Committee, citing its projected impact on the national debt.
The committee voted 16-21 to halt the legislation, dubbed “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” despite strong backing from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, and Trump.
Reps. Chip Roy, R-TX, Josh Brecheen, R-OK, Andrew Clyde, R-GA, Ralph Norman, R-SC, and Lloyd Smucker, R-PA, all voted no. Smucker initially supported the bill but flipped his vote, giving House leadership a path to revisit the measure.
“This bill has back-loaded savings and has front-loaded spending,” Roy said, warning the plan would add $2.5 trillion to the national debt. “I am a no on this bill unless serious reforms are made today, tomorrow, Sunday. We are having conversations as we speak, but something needs to change, or you aren’t going to get my support.”
Compiled from the work of 11 House committees, the bill reflects key priorities in Trump’s second-term agenda, including tax cuts, border security, defense funding, and spending reform.
It also contains provisions long championed by conservatives, including a plan to defund Planned Parenthood, a ban on taxpayer-funded “gender transition procedures” for minors through Medicaid, and measures encouraging school choice.
Following the vote, the House Freedom Caucus issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to Trump’s agenda.
“[W]e were making progress before the vote in the Budget Committee and will continue negotiations to further improve the reconciliation package,” the statement read. “We are not going anywhere, and we will continue to work through the weekend.”
Trump took to social media Friday morning to rally Republicans.
“Republicans MUST UNITE behind, ‘THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!’ Not only does it cut Taxes for ALL Americans,” he wrote, “but it will kick millions of Illegal Aliens off of Medicaid to PROTECT it for those who are the ones in real need.”
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,…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2025
Republican leaders are expected to revise the bill over the weekend and bring it to the House Rules Committee Monday, aiming to revive a core piece of Trump’s legislative agenda.