It’s the first step in what is expected to be a protracted battle to bring the thin Republican House majority in line with a single package approach.
WASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 25 gave the green light to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) blueprint for a massive budgetary package to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The House approved the resolution in a 217–215 vote. It authorizes relevant House committees to find at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, and a $4 trillion bump to the debt ceiling.
Only a single Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), voted against the resolution, while one Democrat, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), is away for medical reasons.
The vote on the proposal occurred just minutes after leadership announced last-minute that they were pulling it from the floor. Many lawmakers who were leaving the Capitol had to hurriedly return to the chamber.
Democrats sought to slow the vote by casting ballots on paper slips—rather than via the quicker and more common electronic method—to ensure that all of their available members could make it back in time to vote against the resolution.
Republicans broke into a round of applause after the final Republican ballot had been cast, reflecting the relief after uncertainty and speculation had surrounded the proposal in the days leading up to the vote. Many went to personally shake Johnson’s hand, marking the political victory he had achieved after weeks of skepticism from both Senate Republicans and political commentators.
“We got it done,” Johnson said in brief remarks to the press.
Johnson acknowledged there is “a lot of work yet to be done.”
“But we’re going to celebrate tonight. We’ll roll up our sleeves and get right back at it in the morning,” he said.
By Joseph Lord and Arjun Singh
