In a narrow 218-214 vote, the United States House of Representatives on Thursday passed President Donald Trump's massive $4.5 trillion tax and spending bill -- his signature second-term policy package -- just ahead of the July 4 deadline.
The bill, backed solely by Republicans except for two defectors, includes extending Trump-era tax cuts and steep reductions in welfare programmes.
Key features include tax breaks for workers, older adults, and businesses, alongside $350 billion for national security and immigration enforcement.
However, it also proposes $1.2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, with stricter work requirements for beneficiaries.
Democrats fiercely opposed the bill, calling it a 'tax giveaway to the rich' funded by the poor. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries staged a record 8-hour-44-minute speech to protest, branding the legislation 'a crime scene.'
Despite Republican infighting and last-minute persuasion from Trump himself, the bill passed with the Senate’s tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President J D Vance.
The legislation rolls back parts of Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act and Joe Biden’s climate reforms.
Analysts estimate the bill will increase the deficit by $3.3 trillion and leave nearly 12 million Americans uninsured.
Trump hailed it as a 'big, beautiful bill' to boost the US economy and reduce fraud in welfare schemes.
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