How Mike Johnson got Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ through the House

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., made a surprise appearance at the House Budget Committee meeting late on a Sunday night. The committee was meeting for the second time to discuss President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” after the first meeting ended in chaos due to objections from fiscal hawks.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., explained that the fiscal hawks voted against advancing the bill in order to make improvements to the legislation. They wanted to ensure that the provisions of the bill were in line with their priorities. After some negotiations, it seemed that a compromise had been reached, and the bill was set to move forward.

Conservatives were anticipating a manager’s amendment, which would allow for changes to be made to the legislation before it went to the full House for a vote. President Trump himself visited Capitol Hill to rally support for the bill among Republicans.

As the House Rules Committee meeting dragged on into the early hours of the morning, tensions rose. The House Freedom Caucus held a press conference calling for a delay on the vote, citing concerns about the bill. Talks with GOP holdouts broke down, leading to uncertainty about the bill’s fate.

However, a manager’s amendment was introduced that addressed some of the concerns raised by the fiscal hawks. It included additional funding for states that did not expand Medicaid under the ACA and other measures to appease conservative members.

As the night wore on, lawmakers struggled to stay awake as Democratic lawmakers dragged out the proceedings with over 500 symbolic amendments. The final vote came down to the wire, with only two Republican defections. The bill passed by a narrow margin, with Republicans celebrating their hard-fought victory.

Overall, the passage of President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” was a significant win for House Republicans. Despite the challenges and disagreements, they were able to come together to advance legislation that aligned with their priorities and goals. The late-night drama in the House Budget Committee showcased the complexities and challenges of legislating in a deeply divided political climate.