The Latest: House gives final approval to Trump’s big tax bill and sends it to him to sign

Here's the latest:

Trump is close to arriving in Iowa as Air Force One is seen in the distance

The president’s plane was seen high in the sky near the fairgrounds during a break in the pre-program for the kick-off party for America's 250th anniversary.

Some attendees stood to watch and wave at the aircraft, anticipating a fly-by as the plane gets closer to landing.

As a candidate, Trump also looped his private jet above the 2023 Iowa State Fair before giving remarks at a beer hall in the fairgrounds.

MAGA faithful cheer Trump for pausing Ukraine weapons

Trump is getting praise from his most ardent supporters for withholding some weapons from Ukraine after they recently questioned his commitment to keeping the U.S. out of foreign conflicts.

The Pentagon pause on weapon deliveries to Ukraine comes just a few weeks after Trump ordered the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Bombing the sites had some “Make America Great Again” supporters openly questioning whether Trump was betraying his vow to keep America out of “stupid wars.” But with the Ukraine equipment pause, Trump has sent the message that he remains committed to following through on his campaign pledge of ending that conflict.

▶ Read more about how Trump's supporters are reacting to the weapons pause

Iowa launch for America’s 250th anniversary is intended to bring people together, organizer says

U.S. Ambassador Monica Crowley, Trump’s liaison to the organizing group for the 250th anniversary of American independence, said Iowa’s middle-of-the-country geography for the kickoff party is symbolic of the desire to use the coming celebrations to help bring people together.

Elijah Martin, 19, drove with his grandpa to the event in Des Moines from Cedar Rapids. He cast his first presidential vote for Trump, whom he called “probably the greatest president of the 21st century.” He acknowledged the deep divides in the nation but said he thinks Trump is bringing people together with more people recognizing his impact every day.

“Walk outside, look at the beautiful country we live in,” Martin said. “I just think a more positive attitude towards the world would really help.”

Iowa event where Trump will speak resembles a mini state fair

The section of the Iowa State Fairgrounds where Trump will speak is filling up several hours before he’s expected to arrive.

The event is meant to start the countdown to America’s 250th birthday in 2026.

Patriotic attire is abundant with people in red, white and blue or American flag-patterned clothing. Many are wearing “Make America Great Again” or other Trump camps.

Volunteers are handing out ice-cold bottles of water in the 93-degree F (33.9 C) heat.

Vendors are selling everything from burgers and corn dogs to ice cream and cheese curds.

Trump talks pause on weapons for Ukraine

Before boarding Air Force One to fly to Iowa, Trump made his first public comments about his administration pausing weapons transfers to Ukraine.

“We’ve given so many weapons,” he said. “We are working with them and trying to help them.”

But he suggested that his predecessor provided too much.

“Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves,” he said.

▶ Read more about the Pentagon's pause on some weapons for Ukraine

Trump says he ‘didn’t make any progress’ with Putin during call

Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin talked about Iran and the war in Ukraine during “a pretty long call” Thursday morning. He said he didn’t make any progress on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine.

“I’m not happy about that,” Trump said. “I didn’t make any progress with him today at all.”

Top American general for the Middle East visited the US air base attacked by Iranian missiles

Gen. Erik Kurilla stopped at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during a four-day Middle East tour to visit the service members who were involved in manning Patriot missile batteries to defend the base.

Al Udeid was targeted in late June by more than a dozen Iranian ballistic missiles after the U.S. launched a secret mission involving B-2 stealth bombers to target Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.

The general’s multi-country tour included visits to Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, where met with Yemeni military officials. He also met with the crew of the guided missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin.

North Carolina governor says GOP Legislature must work to preserve Medicaid expansion

North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein says it’ll be up to the Republican-led Legislature to act to ensure Medicaid expansion and food stamps are preserved in the ninth-largest state now that Trump’s bill has received final congressional approval.

Stein called the bill a “disgrace” that will “have devastating consequences for the people and economy in North Carolina,” including those who rely on the health services that Medicaid provides and on food assistance.

“The General Assembly must step up to protect our bipartisan Medicaid expansion law and food assistance through SNAP,” Stein said.

GOP advocate for clean energy hails vote for tax bill

Rep. Andrew Garbarino, a New York Republican who had pushed to preserve clean energy tax credits, said he was proud to vote for the GOP tax bill, saying it will “keep critical energy projects moving forward” and help ensure American families and businesses have reliable access to power without the threat of blackouts.

Garbarino was one of 13 House Republicans who urged the Senate to preserve credits for wind and solar power that instead will be quickly phased out under the GOP law.

“We didn’t get everything we wanted, but we got what we needed to make progress, and there will be more legislation to come that builds on these victories and addresses the remaining challenges,’′ Garbarino said in a statement.

He was especially pleased the bill will raise a cap on state and local tax deductions, a provision that lawmakers in New York and other high-tax states had fought for.

AOC: ’One of the saddest days in modern American history

The New York Democrat told reporters after the vote that “people are going to go hungry, people are going to get sick on a scale unlike anything we’ve ever seen. And all of it is just to finance tax cuts for billionaires and the wealthiest corporations who don’t need it.”

Ocasio-Cortez echoed Jeffries’ speech in urging a change in 2026.

“There has to be consequences to these votes,” she said. “We have to decide if this is just for TV, or just a joke, or our real lives. And I hope people vote like it’s our real lives.”

GOP lawmakers praise Trump and celebrate passage of landmark Republican budget package

The atmosphere was joyous and musical at a ceremony for the passage of Republicans’ signature tax and spending bill.

“I believe in America,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, becoming briefly emotional as his colleagues cheered for him just ahead of the bill signing.

“Everything was an absolute disaster under the Biden-Harris radical, woke, progressive, Democrat regime,” Johnson said, adding that Republicans “had to quite literally fix every area of public policy.”

Republican leadership praised Trump in their remarks, noting that the bill codified into law much of his agenda.

“Without his leadership, none of this would have been possible,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, the GOP conference chair. “But today, we passed actual transformational legislation, legislation that will impact every family tomorrow.”

Johnson took selfies with lawmakers just before he signed the bill. Lawmakers all posed around the House speaker with their thumbs up as Johnson signed it, mimicking Trump’s signature poses. Half a dozen lawmakers also danced with their fists — Trump’s trademark dance move — as “Y.M.C.A” broke out in the room after Johnson penned his signature.

Massie says Trump’s bill ‘wasn’t beautiful enough’

Rep. Thomas Massie, one of two Republicans who voted against the bill, explained his decision in one sentence.

“Well, it looks like the big bill is going to pass but it wasn’t beautiful enough for me to vote for it,” Massey told reporters as he left the Capitol on Thursday.

The Kentucky Republican has been a fierce critic of the bill from the right, complaining it doesn't rein in the budget deficit. Trump and his allies are mobilizing to challenge him in next year's primary.

Trump to sign bill Friday evening

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump plans to sign his big tax breaks and spending cuts bill at 5 p.m. Friday.

The Fourth of July signing ceremony will come as the White House is scheduled to hold a picnic to mark the holiday.

National Latino organizations condemn passage of tax and spending cut bill

Leaders from national Latino organizations warn that the passage of Trump’s big bill will harm many working families, especially those in the Latino community.

“This bill sends one message loud and clear — if you are Latino, working-class, or undocumented, you are not welcome here,” said Juan Proaño, Chief Executive Officer of LULAC in a statement. “It guts our nation’s moral fabric by placing walls, weapons, and fines where there should be help, hope, and humanity.”

Unidos US President and CEO Janet Murguía said in a statement the U.S. House of Representatives turned their back on the American people.

“Members of Congress who passed this bill have once again betrayed the trust of their constituents — including the Latino community — and chosen cruelty over common sense. All to supercharge a cruel and ineffective deportation machine that is sowing chaos across our nation.”

Voto Latino president and co-founder says bill reflects congressional Republican priorities

Voto Latino president and co-founder Maria Teresa Kumar called the bill a “disgraceful reflection of where congressional Republican priorities stand."

“While hardworking families across the country face economic uncertainty given how expensive everything has become under the Trump administration, Republicans are stripping health care from millions through Medicaid cuts and slashing essential services to fund tax breaks for billionaires and hand over $45 billion to build for-profit detention centers,” Kumar said.

Kumar estimated that Medicaid cuts alone would impact about 26.8 million Latinos who depend on the programs.

Union condemns passage of bill

Milton Jones, international president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, said it was disappointing that Congress “passed this damaging, ugly bill that ignores the needs of working families and makes cuts that are not just cruel — they are economically reckless.”

“Both Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid do much more than help families make ends meet. These programs support union jobs in grocery stores, meatpacking plants, and health care facilities across the country,” Jones said in a statement, adding that “80 percent of SNAP dollars are spent at traditional grocery stores where our members work and feed their communities.”

Treasury secretary says bill passage sets stage for ‘coming Golden Age’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an emailed statement that the passage of Republicans’ mega tax bill “has set the stage for the coming Golden Age as we prepare to celebrate the 250th year of our great nation.”

Thanking President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans, Bessent said the GOP wing has “passed the biggest legislative win for American workers and families.”

Democrats accuse Republicans of passing a bill that will rip health care and food assistance away from millions of working poor, seniors and veterans around the country.

The House gives final approval to Trump’s big tax bill and sends it to him to sign

House Republicans propelled Trump's $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final congressional passage Thursday, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a Fourth of July deadline.

The tight roll call, 218-214, came at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed. GOP leaders worked overnight and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition and send the bill to him to sign into law. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York delayed voting by holding the floor for more than eight hours with a record-breaking speech against the bill.

"We have a big job to finish," said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. "With one big beautiful bill we are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before."

Johnson makes closing arguments for Trump bill

House Speaker Mike Johnson is making the GOP’s closing arguments as the chamber prepares to take up Trump’s tax and spending cut bill.

“For everyday Americans, this means real, positive change that they can feel,” Johnson said of the bill.

At another point, he asked colleagues: “Are you tired of winning yet?”

“No,” they roared back.

Jeffries concludes speech after 8 hours 44 minutes

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has concluded his record floor speech that including everything from highlighting everyday Americans to mocking Trump and promising to make his “Big Beautiful Bill” a centerpiece of the upcoming midterm elections.

Jeffries repeatedly assailed the measure as “an all-out assault” on the nation’s values, hardworking Americans, labor unions and “law abiding immigrant families.”

He reminded voters how Republicans disavowed Project 2025, the conservative policy tome that proved unpopular during the 2024 campaign, only to watch Trump and the GOP pursue many of its ideas.

Jeffries said voters have a chance to shift course.

“After Project 2025 comes Project 2026,” he said, prompting roars from his Democratic colleagues. Based on the current House roster, Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to reclaim control of the chamber for the final two years of Trump’s second presidency.

Jeffries quotes New Testament to explain Democrats’ opposition and slams Trump for hawking Bibles

— “I don’t know who I’m talking about, but if you sell the Bible, you should know the Bible.”

House rules generally don’t allow members to attack others by name. So Jeffries chose his words carefully. But he was clearly the “God Bless the USA” Bible that Trump hawked for $59.99 with singer Lee Greenwood.

— “Got some folks in this town, they go to church and they pray on Sunday. P-R-A-Y. And then they come to Congress and they prey, P-R-E-Y, on the American people. I’m not down with that kind of faith.”

Again, Jeffries called no names but was talking about religious conservatives backing the bill that Jeffries said flouts many biblical commands on helping others in need.

— Jeffries spent several minutes on Matthew 25, a Christian gospel chapter many Democrats commonly quote because it includes Jesus’ teachings on how to treat “the least of these.”

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in ... ,” Jeffries said. “E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. I needed clothes, and you clothed me. I was sick, I had medical problems. ... I was in prison, and you came to visit me. ... That’s not what’s happening in this one big, ugly bill.”

Jeffries sets record for longest floor speech

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has surpassed the record for the longest floor speech as the chamber considers Trump’s tax and spending cut bill.

The stem-winder began at 4:53 a.m. EDT and has touched an array of subjects, including the reading of letters from Americans who rely on government programs such as Medicaid and SNAP.

Jeffries said the bill “steals” from those programs to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.

The speech took on the air of a Sunday church service air as it extended into its eighth hour and he began citing passages from the Bible.

“Take your time," colleagues replied as he spoke. “Take your sweet time.”

“Shame on this institution if this bill passes,” he said.

Democrats are a ‘Hell No!’ on Trump’s bill, Jeffries says

If Jeffries’ long-form speech wasn’t enough to communicate the Democrats’ uniform opposition to Trump’s policy priorities, the House Speaker is summing it up in two words: “Hell No!”

More than eight hours into his opposing presentation, Jeffries said that despite the president’s rhetoric about helping Americans in their daily lives, “not a single thing in Donald Trump’s one big, ugly bill will meaningfully make life more affordable for everyday Americans.”

“We were a ‘Hell No!’ last week, a ‘Hell No!’ this week, a ‘Hell No!’ yesterday, a ‘Hell No!’ today, and we’ll continue to be a ‘Hell No!’ on this effort to hurt the American people," he said.

As his volume rose, Jeffries’ fellow Democrats joined his “Hell No!” refrain.

Putin and Trump talk Ukraine, Iran and other issues, Kremlin says

Regarding Iran, Putin emphasized during their Thursday call the need to resolve all issues by political and diplomatic means, said Yuri Ushakov, his foreign affairs adviser.

As for Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump emphasized his push for a quick cessation of hostilities, and Putin voiced Moscow’s readiness to pursue talks with Ukraine. At the same time, the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the “root causes” of the conflict, Ushakov said.

The Kremlin adviser said a suspension in U.S. military aid to Ukraine wasn’t discussed during the call.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes to speak to Trump soon about weapons

The Ukrainian president says he hope to speak soon with Trump following a pause in some weapons shipments to the country seeking to fight off invading Russian forces.

Asked Thursday when he would find out more about the halt, Zelenskyy said, “I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump.”

Zelenskyy spoke to reporters in Aarhus, Denmark, after a meeting with major European Union backers.

Jeffries calls out Republicans who voted ‘yes’ then urged changes

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is calling out 13 House Republicans who supported Trump’s big tax bill in May but later sent a letter urging the Senate to scale back some of its clean energy cuts. He urged the Republicans who signed the clean energy letter to vote against the final bill.

He also criticized Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who voted for the bill Tuesday but said it “needs more work across chambers and is not ready for the president’s desk.”

Jeffries said he was “flummoxed” that GOP lawmakers would urge members of the other chamber to fix a bill they voted for.

“That is not how the people’s business should be done in the United States Congress,’′ he said. “We have a responsibility to stand up for what is right in the chamber that we serve in.”

Jeffries is previewing Democrats’ 2026 midterm arguments

The Democrats lack the votes in Congress to stop Trump’s bill, so Jeffries’ speech is really about framing it — today and for the 2026 midterm elections — as “an all-out assault on the American people.”

“This is personal to us,” Jeffries said as he notes the Republican measure’s impact on Americans including veterans, the working class, small-business owners, employees trying to unionize, federal workers, Medicaid beneficiaries and customers in Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges.

That list spans typical Republican and Democratic coalitions.

Republicans hold 220 seats to Democrats’ 212, with three vacancies after recent deaths of Democratic members. So Democrats would need a net gain of just three seats to make Jeffries the potential House speaker in 2027.

House Democratic leader says what Republicans are doing is criminal

“I never thought that I’d be on the House floor saying that this is a crime scene,” Jeffries said. “It’s a crime scene, going after the health, and the safety, and the well-being of the American people.”

And as Democrats, he said, “We want no part of it.”

Jeffries seized a leader’s prerogative for unlimited debate early Thursday, and after speaking for more than five hours is still a few hours away from breaking the record for the longest House leader’s speech, set in 2021.

House Republicans, up all night, are ready to vote on Trump's $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill as soon as he gives up the floor.

▶ Read more about House action on the bill

How a GOP rift doomed the bill’s ban on state AI laws

A bid to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade seemed on its way to passing as part of the Republican tax cut and spending bill, but was doomed by a relentless campaign by Republican governors, lawmakers, think tanks and social groups.

Activist Mike Davis urged right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon’s viewers to call their senators to reject this “AI amnesty” for “trillion-dollar Big Tech monopolists.” He said he texted with Trump directly, advising the president to stay neutral despite significant pressure from White House AI czar David Sacks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and others.

The schism revealed the enormous influence of a segment of the Republican Party that has come to distrust Big Tech. They believe states must remain free to protect citizens against potential harms from AI, social media or emerging technologies.

▶ Read more on how protections for Big Tech's artificial intelligence ventures got voted out of the bill

Trump’s bill rolls back past presidential agendas

In many ways, the package is a repudiation of the agendas of the last two Democratic presidents, a chiseling away at the Medicaid expansion from Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, and a pullback of Joe Biden's climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Democrats have warned that lives will be lost due to the bill’s cuts to Medicaid, which some 80 million Americans rely on. Cutting food stamps that help feed more than 40 million people would “rip food from the mouths of hungry children, hungry veterans and hungry seniors,” Jeffries said.

Republicans say the tax breaks will prevent a tax hike on households and grow the economy. They maintain they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse.

Small-business owners get a shoutout in Jeffries’ speech

The House Minority Leader is shifting from veterans to small-business owners, continuing to highlight groups of voters that Republicans often claim are theirs.

"Small business represents the heart and soul of the American economy," Jeffries said, pointing to entrepreneurs who could see their insurance access compromised as the GOP bill adds bureaucratic barriers to health care.

Jeffries reads comments from veterans as he continues marathon floor speech

Jeffries says the GOP tax and policy bill’s effects is “an all-out assault” on veterans.

He’s quoting from veterans who he said sent lawmakers their stories of pending benefit cuts. One man, he says, is recovering from injury and “needs help … from the American people” only as a bridge to get back to work.

“I have had your backs,” Jeffries says in the veteran’s voice. It’s time for the country “to cover my back.”

▶ Read more about Democrats making veterans the face of their opposition to Trump's budget agenda

How Ukraine can cope with the US pause on crucial battlefield weapons

The pause on some weapons shipments to Ukraine has come at a tough time for Kyiv: Russia's bigger army is making a concerted battlefront push and intensifying long-range drone and missile attacks against civilians in Ukrainian cities.

Washington has been Ukraine's biggest military backer since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, but the Trump administration has been disengaging from the war and there's no end to the fighting in sight despite recent direct peace talks.

Ukraine has raced to build up its domestic defense industry, producing increasingly sophisticated drones, and amid fraught relations with Trump, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has enlisted more European help in weapons manufacturing.

But some high-tech U.S. weapons are irreplaceable. Patriot air defense missiles are needed to fend off Russia's frequent ballistic missile attacks, but cost $4 million each.

▶ Read more on how Ukraine is responding to the weapons pause

Massachusetts advocates say Trump’s bill unravels health safety net

In the state that served as the model for Obamacare, advocates and health care workers fear the Trump administration will dismantle piece-by-piece a popular program providing insurance, preventive care and lifesaving medication to hundreds of thousands of people.

Provisions contained in both the Senate and House versions of the massive tax and spending cuts bill could strip health insurance from up to a quarter of the roughly 400,000 people enrolled in the Massachusetts Health Connector, according to state estimates.

Trump and Republicans in Congress say new documentation requirements and limitations on who can apply for tax credits to help pay for insurance are necessary to root out fraud, waste and abuse.

▶ Read more about how the bill affects Massachusetts' model health care system

Billions to fund the military within the US

The budget bill includes a hefty investment, some $350 billion, in national security and Trump's deportation agenda and to help develop the "Golden Dome" defensive system over the U.S.

To help offset the costs of lost tax revenue, the package includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to the Medicaid health care and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a massive rollback of green energy investments.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.

US employers add a surprising 147,000 jobs despite uncertainty

The American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite uncertainty over Trump’s economic policies. The unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Hiring rose modestly from a revised 144,000 in May and beat economists expectations of fewer than 118,000 new jobs as Trump's trade wars, the federal hiring freeze and immigration crackdown weigh on the American job market. U.S. applications for jobless aid fell to 233,000 last week as layoffs remain low.

A survey released Wednesday by the payroll processor ADP found that private companies cut 33,000 jobs last month, reflecting a hesitancy to hire and a reluctance to replace departing workers.

The president’s deportations, meanwhile, are driving immigrants out of the U.S. labor force. Those working and looking for work fell by 625,000 in May, the biggest drop in a year and a half.

What's in the Big Beautiful Bill Act

At some 887 pages, the legislation includes tax breaks, spending cuts, a rollback of solar energy tax credits, new money for national defense and deportations. The bill does not eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, despite what Trump says.

The bill rolls back past presidential agendas: In many ways, the package is a repudiation of the agendas of the last two Democratic presidents, a chiseling away at the Medicaid expansion from Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, and a pullback of Joe Biden's climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Congressional Budget Office review: The nonpartisan CBO said Sunday the bill would pile nearly $3.3 trillion onto the nation's debt load from 2025 to 2034, a nearly $1 trillion increase over the House-passed version of the bill. The analysis also found that 11.8 million Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill passed.

Hakeem Jeffries has been talking for three hours and counting

Republican leadership spent much of the night and early morning persuading a handful of holdouts to support the Senate-approved tax cuts and spending bill. But now, House Speaker Mike Johnson appears to have the votes, and Democrats are standing in the way.

As the House wrapped up its debate over passing Trump’s agenda, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries used a tool known as the “magic minute” that allows leaders unlimited time to speak. He started his address just before 5 a.m. ET. And it’s still going.

“I’m going to take my time,” he said, before launching into a speech criticizing Republicans’ deference to Trump, reading through personal accounts of people concerned about losing their health care coverage, and recounting American history.

Eventually, Jeffries will end his speech, and Republicans will move to final passage of the bill.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP