Trump twists House GOP arms on megabill

President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)

A report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that Trump's proposed legislation will be a boon to the wealthy

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

By Peter Weber, The Week US

published 21 May 2025

What happened

President Donald Trump visited House Republicans Tuesday to pressure holdouts on his multitrillion-dollar tax and spending bill, which House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wants to vote on as soon as Wednesday.

Who said what

Trump was "brought in to seal the deal" at a "pivotal moment" as "negotiations are slogging along" on his 1,116-page package of tax cuts, $350 billion boost to military and anti-immigration spending and "cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs," The Associated Press said. His entreaties and arm-twisting "appeared to do little to resolve the rifts that have plagued the measure for weeks," The New York Times said, but Johnson's subsequent "behind-the-scenes negotiations" with restive factions "appeared to have yielded some progress."

The bill's fate could determine whether Trump "regains the momentum he had early in his second administration or sees his agenda stall," The Washington Post said. The "economic and political stakes are enormous," The Wall Street Journal said. If the bill passes, Trump "could take credit for delivering tax cuts ahead of the midterms," but if it falters, voters "could instead be focused on the economic fallout from his trade agenda."

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Nonpartisan analysts say the bill could "add $3 trillion to $5 trillion to the federal government's $36.2 trillion in debt," Reuters said. According to a new Congressional Budget Office estimate, it would also "lead to increased assets for the richest Americans, while reducing them for the lowest-income households," Politico said.

What next?

The House Rules Committee is meeting overnight to finalize the package for a floor vote. If the House passes the legislation, it goes to the Senate.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.