In a razor-thin vote, the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives passed a sweeping tax and spending bill championed by President Donald Trump, sending it to the Senate for further consideration.
The legislation, which encapsulates much of Trump’s economic and nationalist agenda, is expected to add a staggering $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The bill passed on Thursday with a final count of 215-214, reflecting deep partisan divisions and cracks within the Republican Party itself. All Democrats and two Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, while a third Republican opted to vote “present.” Despite the narrow margin, Trump hailed the development, referring to the package as “one big, beautiful bill.”
If passed by the Senate, the bill will bring sweeping changes to America’s fiscal landscape. Key provisions include tax breaks on service tips and automobile loans—measures popular among Trump’s working-class voter base.
The bill also significantly ramps up federal spending on defense and border security, another cornerstone of Trump’s second-term platform.
Critics, however, are sounding the alarm about the bill’s impact on the national deficit, which currently stands at $36.2 trillion. Democrats argue that the legislation disproportionately benefits the wealthy and defense contractors, while doing little to improve long-term fiscal responsibility or offer relief to average Americans.
“We are mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren for political gain,” one House Democrat said during the floor debate.
The bill’s passage has reignited debates around Trump’s economic priorities, which many say reflect a populist approach focused on immediate voter appeal rather than long-term sustainability. Analysts point out that the new tax breaks could significantly reduce federal revenue, while defense and border expansions will require large annual outlays, pushing the deficit to new highs.
Now that the bill has cleared the House, it faces a tougher challenge in the Senate, where several moderate Republicans have expressed concerns about the ballooning debt and uneven distribution of tax benefits.
With Democrats united in opposition and a slim Republican majority in the Senate, the bill’s future remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to pitch the legislation to the public as a bold step toward economic freedom and national security.
“This is about putting America first—tax cuts, stronger borders, and a military second to none,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social shortly after the vote.
As the Senate prepares to deliberate, economists, policymakers, and citizens alike are watching closely. The stakes are high—not just for Trump’s policy ambitions, but for the fiscal health of the United States for years to come.
