House Republican leadership has announced that lawmakers will not be sent home for the Memorial Day recess until the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a sweeping reconciliation package central to President Donald Trump’s agenda, is passed by the House. This 1,116-page legislation, named in reference to Trump’s campaign rhetoric, aims to address tax cuts, border security, defense spending, energy policy, and a debt limit increase, with a goal of reaching Trump’s desk by July 4. The decision to delay the recess, reported by Punchbowl News, underscores the urgency and high stakes of the bill, which has faced significant internal GOP divisions.
The bill, advanced through the budget reconciliation process to bypass a Senate filibuster, includes provisions to make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent, introduce new tax breaks (e.g., no taxes on tips or overtime), and implement $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, with $880 billion targeting Medicaid through measures like work requirements and stricter eligibility checks. It also proposes a 5% remittance tax on international money transfers to fund border security and the phase-out of Biden-era clean energy credits. However, the package has met resistance, with conservatives like Reps. Chip Roy, Ralph Norman, Andrew Clyde, and Josh Brecheen opposing it for insufficient spending cuts, while moderates, particularly from high-tax states, demand a higher cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, currently proposed at $30,000 for joint filers earning under $400,000.
On May 16, the House Budget Committee rejected the bill in a 16-21 vote, with five Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, prompting a rescheduled vote for Sunday night, May 18, as leadership negotiates with holdouts. Speaker Mike Johnson remains confident, stating the House is “on schedule” to meet the Memorial Day deadline, though some lawmakers, like Rep. Tim Burchett, call this timeline “wishful thinking.” Senate Republicans, including Sens. Ron Johnson and Rand Paul, have criticized the bill’s spending cuts as inadequate and prefer a multi-bill approach, complicating House-Senate coordination.
The delay of the recess has sparked varied reactions on X, with some users praising the push for accountability and others skeptical of the GOP’s ability to unify. The outcome of ongoing negotiations, particularly on Medicaid cuts and SALT deductions, will determine whether the House can pass the bill before the holiday, avoiding further delays to a timeline already deemed ambitious.
