The so-called 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' (One Big Beautiful Bill Act·OBBBA), which contains the domestic policy agenda for the second term of President Donald Trump, finally passed through the threshold of the U.S. Congress on the 3rd (local time).
On this day, the U.S. House of Representatives held a plenary session and voted on the OBBBA, which had been modified and passed by the Senate and was returned to the House, with 218 votes in favor and 214 against. All Democrats voted against, while there were two dissenting votes from Republicans, including Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania).
President Trump was able to meet the July 4 deadline he had proclaimed for the bill's passage. He plans to hold a signing ceremony at the White House on the 4th at 5 p.m.
The bill that passed the Senate two days earlier faced internal opposition in the House. This was because the modified bill from the Senate strengthened cuts to Medicaid (medical assistance for low-income individuals) and reduced tax credits for clean energy, leading to backlash even among moderate House Republicans.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries further delayed the passage of the bill by giving a long opposition speech in his role as the opposition leader. Representative Jeffries opposed the bill and spoke in the House for a total of 8 hours and 45 minutes, from 4:53 a.m. to 1:37 p.m. This is a record for the House.
However, President Trump worked to persuade Republican lawmakers until the last moment, and the Republican leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, focused on persuading dissenters, allowing the bill to pass in the Senate's version without modification. If even one provision is amended, the bill must return to the Senate for approval.
The bill that passed the final threshold of Congress on this day mainly aims to make permanent various tax cuts, including the reduction of personal income tax rates and the lowering of the corporate tax rate, which were implemented during President Trump's first term in 2017 and are scheduled to expire at the end of this year. It also includes provisions for an additional $160 billion (about 218 trillion won) for defense and $170 billion (about 232 trillion won) to strengthen border and immigration control.
On the other hand, to offset the expenses resulting from the tax cuts, funding for social safety net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be reduced to secure about $1 trillion (about 1,364 trillion won) from the overall budget. This bill also includes budget cuts related to policies emphasized during the Biden administration, such as the abolition of clean energy tax credits and the cessation of tax credits for electric vehicle purchases.
Immediately after the bill's passage, Trump declared through a spokesperson, 'We won!' Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said, 'This bill will make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous.' He added, 'Today, we lay the cornerstone for America’s new golden age.'