July 3 (UPI) — The House of Representatives approved the fiscal year 2026 federal budget bill, commonly referred to as “one big, beautiful bill,” with a 218 to 214 vote on Thursday afternoon.
The measure now goes to President Donald Trump for signing, which he might do on Independence Day.
Two Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, voted against the measure. So did all House Democrats, CBS News reported.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a marathon eight-hour speech on the House floor Thursday, seeking to delay a final vote, but his effort failed.
Jeffries, D-N.Y., began speaking at 4:52 a.m. EDT, describing frustration with the leaders of the House GOP, who only allowed one hour of debate over the more than 900-page bill.
Jeffries spent his speaking time telling the stories of people who will be harmed by the bill, focusing on those in Republican districts and calling out the House members who represent them.
Jeffries’ eight-hour speech set a record for the longest delivered on the House floor, USA Today reported.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., took the floor after Jeffries finished speaking to conduct the final vote after spending most of the day Wednesday negotiating with GOP House members.
Trump also met with skeptical GOP House members at the White House to work out a way to get the measure passed before the Fourth of July holiday.
Johnson said he and the president discussed having the measure, House Resolution 1, signed into law during Friday’s national holiday.
“What more appropriate time to pass the big, beautiful bill for America than on Independence Day?” He said, as reported by USA Today.
The funding bill is projected to increase the nation’s current $36 trillion deficit by another $3.4 trillion over the next decade.
It also makes income tax cuts enacted during Trump’s first term in office permanent instead of allowing them to expire this year.
The bill also gives tax breaks for income earned via tips and overtime pay, and it reduces tax breaks for clean energy projects that were created by the Biden administration.