Republican representatives in the lower house of the United States approved just this Thursday the “big and beautiful bill” of Donald Trump after days of uncertainty about whether the fiscal package that will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over 10 years would go ahead, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.
The law was approved with 218 votes in favor, all from the Republican Party, while 214 representatives opposed it, including all Democrats plus two Republicans (Thomas Massie from Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania) who crossed party lines.
The vote was similar to what happened a few days ago in the Senate, when three Republicans voted alongside Democrats to oppose a highly controversial law. After a 50-50 tie, the law was only approved thanks to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President JD Vance.
What are the effects of Trump’s law?
The main objective of the law is to implement Donald Trump’s agenda, such as increasing military spending and immigration surveillance, but it will reduce expenses aimed at covering the health of the poorest. Moreover, it is anticipated that nearly 12 million people in the United States will now be left without health insurance by 2034 due to the $1 trillion cut to the Medicaid program.
According to the Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, the number of people affected could rise to 16 million.
That was one of the main reasons for the questioning by some more moderate Republicans, but they ended up being convinced in the final hours by Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) criticized President Trump’s law on Thursday, stating that its design goes against the recommendations made by the organization to the United States.
“From the IMF, we have been consistent in stating that the United States will need to reduce its fiscal deficit [...] in order to place public debt in relation to GDP on a clearly downward path,” explained IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack at a press conference.
The representatives of the multilateral organization have pointed out that Washington should raise taxes, including on the middle class, to narrow the budget deficit to more manageable levels, contrary to what is allowed by the current law.
In addition to the economic impact, the law could have serious political effects on Republican representatives in the upcoming November legislative elections due to the unpopularity of the project, accused of eliminating benefits for the most vulnerable groups and providing benefits such as lower taxes for high-income individuals.
It is expected that, as requested, Trump will sign the law on July 4th for the anniversary of the Independence of the United States.
Democrats tried to block the vote
In an extensive closing speech in the House of Representatives, which set a record by lasting over eight and a half hours and postponed the final vote until late afternoon, Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries strongly rejected the bill, which he described as a “repugnant abomination” for its negative effects on the population.
During his speech, Jeffries read testimonies from citizens who rely on federal programs such as Medicaid and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), pointing out that the proposed cuts could severely impact their lives.
The congressman emphasized that many of these letters came from residents in districts controlled by Republicans, considered strategic by Democrats in the upcoming legislative elections. In his speech, he emphasized that the bill represents “an all-out assault on the health care of the people of the United States of America, hardworking American taxpayers."