By Bo Erickson, Richard Cowan and David Morgan
US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) walks off the House floor after speaking for 8 hours and 45 minutes. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / Kevin Dietsch
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Thursday (US time) launched a final yes-or-no vote on President Donald Trump's massive tax-cut and spending 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. If approved, the bill will go to Trump to sign into law.
"Now we are finally ready to fulfill 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 $3.4 trillion to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. That debt has grown steadily over the past two decades regardless of which party was in control in Washington.
The bill would also make major cuts to social programmes including Medicaid, ultimately leaving nearly 12 million Americans without health insurance. Rural hospitals have warned that 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.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson, on the right, with President Donald Trump and Vice President J D Vance. Photo: WIN MCNAMEE
Trump phone calls
Votes in the House were held open for hours on Wednesday during the day and overnight as House Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House talked with reluctant members.
Republican leaders said Trump made late-night phone calls to win over wavering Republicans, but they predicted that some would still vote against it.
"Nothing has been unanimous in this process, and that's going to hold true on the floor," Representative Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, told reporters.
Trump kept up the pressure. "FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!" he wrote on social media.
Any changes made by the House would require another Senate vote, which would make it all but impossible to meet Trump's self-imposed deadline of getting the legislation approved by the July 4 Independence Day holiday.
Scalise said that delay would not happen.
"What really got everybody to the finish line is the realisation, there aren't going to be any more changes to this bill. It's time to come together, make a decision," he said.
-Reuters
