WASHINGTON—President Trump had a problem.
A handful of House Republican holdouts were unhappy with provisions in
Trump’s signature bill
. But if Trump blessed any changes, the megabill would head back to the Senate to face additional scrutiny and potential opposition.
So, the self-described dealmaker in chief started making deals.
In a last-minute blitz of White House meetings and phone calls Wednesday and Thursday, Trump offered to use his executive authority to address the concerns of conservative lawmakers, who worried the bill didn’t do enough to cut spending and discourage renewable energy.
Trump and his advisers said they would explore new tariffs on parts used in wind turbines, and potentially slow permitting for some renewable-energy projects, according to lawmakers. The offer was aimed at placating Republicans who were angry that the Senate gave wind and solar-energy projects more time to start construction before becoming ineligible for tax credits.
In the meetings, Russ Vought, Trump’s White House budget chief, also reassured lawmakers that the administration would use its authority to limit spending, according to people familiar with the conversations. Trump and his advisers have argued that Trump has the authority to refuse to spend money appropriated by Congress, a contention likely to be tested in court.
Trump even spoke by phone to Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican who infuriated the president by voting against an earlier version of the bill. While Massie opposed the legislation again on Thursday, he supported a procedural measure that allowed the bill to move forward—with the understanding that Trump would temper his attacks, people familiar with the matter said.
Asked if he made deals to get lawmakers to vote yes, Trump told reporters Thursday evening, “Yeah, I think a few of them I did, but I think they would have gone yes anyway.” A senior administration official said there were “constructive conversations” with lawmakers, but didn’t provide specifics.
Trump’s vague promises and cajoling paid off when the House passed the legislation on Thursday afternoon, underscoring his iron grip on the Republican Party. Just two House Republicans and three GOP senators voted against the bill.
It was the latest instance in which threats of Republican dissent melted away in the face of Trump’s popularity inside the party. “I think I have more power now,” Trump said, reflecting on the difference between his first and second terms.
The end-result of the negotiations is that House Republicans handed more authority to the executive branch, accepting legislation they had blasted hours earlier and trusting that Trump would solve their problems.
“We’ve got pretty good assurances out of the White House,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas), who voted for the bill after calling it a travesty.
Trump enters the holiday weekend with much to celebrate: His signature tax-and-spending bill won congressional approval, the
monthly jobs report
exceeded expectations, and illegal border crossings reached their lowest level in decades.
The president is planning to sign the legislation into law Friday as he celebrates Independence Day at the White House with a picnic for military families. A B-2 stealth bomber, the aircraft used in the surprise U.S. attack on
Iran’s nuclear facilities
, will fly over the festivities.
Hanging over it all are several crises abroad, a looming July 9 deadline to strike trade deals and the political implications of his legislation. Democrats are rushing to cast the legislation as a boon for the rich. And privately, some Republican lawmakers are worried that cuts to Medicaid might hit their constituents and potentially backfire in next year’s midterm elections.
The legislation’s path to passage was slicked by Trump’s fixation on the bill arriving on his desk by July 4 and widespread fears from House lawmakers that any opposition would be met with a fierce response from the president.
Even as progress on the legislation slowed, Trump refused to budge on the deadline, putting pressure on lawmakers to act. Even Vice President JD Vance admitted publicly
he had doubts
they could finish the job by Independence Day, more than a month before the U.S. actually needs to increase the federal debt limit.
“This might be the first time in the history of Congress that we’re going to pass a debt ceiling hike before the midnight deadline,” said Rep. Blake Moore (R., Utah).
Trump’s last-minute push began at 5 a.m. Wednesday, an aide said, and included a two-hour meeting with lawmakers at the White House, followed by a litany of phone calls late into the night. At the Capitol, an afternoon vote stayed open for hours, setting a record, showing that Republicans were struggling behind the scenes.
“We had the president himself, we had the vice president, we had attorneys and agencies answering questions,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said as he chugged a Celsius energy drink Thursday morning. Vought came to the Capitol to discuss spending issues with members directly.
Trump volleyed between typing out threats and encouragement on Truth Social. “What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!” Trump posted to Truth Social shortly after midnight on Thursday.
Trump also made a public example of Massie, sending a warning shot to other lawmakers that resistance wouldn’t be tolerated. The president unloaded on Massie last month after he refused to support the legislation, threatening to back a primary challenger against him.
In a middle-of-the-night phone call early Thursday, Trump appeared to ease tensions with Massie, according to people familiar with the matter. It couldn’t be determined if the president would lessen his attacks on the congressman. Massie declined to comment on the call.
Though Democrats couldn’t stop the bill from passing, they sought to turn the public against it. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) set the record for the longest House floor speech, criticizing the bill for more than 8½ hours.
The coming months will determine how voters see the bill. Republicans say they blocked a tax hike, increased border security and raised take-home pay for Americans through targeted tax cuts for middle-class voters. Democrats counter that the bill is a tax cut for the rich, will cut healthcare and will increase insurance premiums.
The popular provisions in the bill that defined Trump’s presidential campaign such as temporarily reducing taxes on tips, senior citizens and overtime wages, take effect immediately and retroactively, while cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance are delayed. Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) voted for the bill while insisting that he would try to prevent some Medicaid changes from taking effect.
In the Senate, Trump’s influence was more muted. His volatile relationship with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska prevented him from swaying her. Instead, he relied on allies in Congress, as well as his legislative team, to get the bill over the finish line by offering Murkowski
aid for her state
.
Trump and Roy, the Texas Republican congressman, have publicly butted heads. The president has said he should get a primary challenge, calling him “just another ambitious guy, with no talent.” But the two men worked together during the negotiations.
“Look, it’s politics. It is what it is,” Roy said. “We get along great.”
Ultimately, Roy voted for the bill, as did many of the holdouts. On Thursday afternoon, when Johnson signed the just-passed legislation so it could be sent to the White House, the speakers in the Capitol’s ceremonial Rayburn Room played the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.”
Some Republicans bopped their heads. Some showed a thumbs-up. And Rep. Steve Scalise (R., La.) mimicked Trump’s dance moves.
Write to Natalie Andrews at
[email protected]
, Alex Leary at
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and Lindsay Wise at
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