A late-night House hearing descended into chaos early Wednesday as deep divisions within the Republican Party threatened to derail former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and immigration proposal—dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Originally intended as a procedural step to fast-track the legislation, the 1 a.m. session instead exposed widening cracks in GOP unity. By Wednesday afternoon, lawmakers were still at odds over key provisions, with no clear path to passage.
The bill, a cornerstone of Trump’s domestic agenda, aims to extend the 2017 tax cuts—set to expire at year’s end—and introduce new measures including tax exemptions for tips and overtime wages. It also proposes significant increases in defense and border security spending, alongside deep cuts to Medicaid and federal benefit programs.
However, hardline conservatives remain unconvinced. Despite GOP leadership’s offer to deepen spending cuts, several members of the Freedom Caucus said the bill still doesn’t go far enough. Others expressed concern over concessions to moderate Republicans from high-tax states, particularly a proposed increase to the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions.
“The current draft still misses the mark,” said Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a vocal conservative holdout. “We’ve got to deliver on what we promised the American people, but we’re not there yet.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to meet with Trump and several key dissenters at 3 p.m. today in a bid to break the deadlock. A White House official confirmed the meeting, noting the urgency to secure unity ahead of the administration’s self-imposed July 4 deadline.
That timeline, however, has drawn skepticism from within Trump’s own party. “It’s an arbitrary deadline,” said Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. “This notion that if we don’t act today the whole thing collapses—it’s not true. We can and should get this right.”
Trump has increased pressure on lawmakers, including making a rare in-person appeal at the Capitol on Tuesday. He urged Republicans to rally behind the bill, which he claims would slash taxes by nearly $4 trillion and secure his policy legacy.
Still, as party leaders scramble for votes, it remains unclear whether Trump’s influence will be enough to overcome entrenched divisions—particularly over fiscal priorities.
With negotiations ongoing and the stakes high, the bill’s fate hangs in the balance as Republicans confront the challenge of uniting their fractured conference behind a sprawling and controversial legislative package.