Rep. Becca Balint D-Vermont) held out all night against H.R.1, the Trump administration budget reconciliation bill, to no avail. It passed by a single vote this morning. C-Span images.
by Guy Page
H.R. 1, known officially as ‘The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act’ that is a lynchpin of President Donald Trump’s economic policy, passed the U.S. House of Representatives by one vote shortly before 7 AM this morning. The bill now moves on to the U.S. Senate.
According to Congress.gov, H.R. is a reconciliation bill and includes legislation submitted by 11 House committees pursuant to provisions in the FY2025 congressional budget resolution (H Con. Res. 14) that directed the committees to submit legislation to the House Budget Committee that will increase or decrease the deficit and increase the statutory debt limit by specified amounts. (Reconciliation bills are considered by Congress using expedited legislative procedures that prevent a filibuster and restrict amendments in the Senate.)
Vermont Rep. Becca Balint (D) voted no, as did two Republicans. No Democrats voted in favor. On her X account this morning, Balint said the bill will ‘take food away from children.’
“What kind of nation are we when leaders choose to take food away from children? When they take health care away from people? When they kick the poor in the teeth while rewarding the richest among us? The bill Republicans passed in the dead of night is a moral failure,” Balint said on X this morning. “In their bill, Republicans passed steep cuts to food assistance, Medicaid, and put Medicare at risk. For me, that’s a moral line. It makes no sense in this time of incredible struggle when families are having such a hard time making ends meet to go after food assistance and Medicaid.”
Republicans in the White House and in Congress of course tell a different story. According to a press statement released by the White House this morning, the bill features:
The largest tax cut in history. This means $13,300 more for American families and wage increases up to $11,000 for workers with a double-digit percent decrease to their tax bills — plus no tax on tips or overtime, a tax cut on seniors’ Social Security benefits, an expanded child tax credit, and a tax deduction on American-made vehicles. Americans making between $30,000 and $80,000 per year will see their taxes cut by 15% next year.
Raising wages. American workers will see wage increases of up to $11,600; a typical family with two kids will see take-home pay rise by up to $13,300.
Strong border security. This makes President Trump’s border crackdown permanent with the largest investment ever — funding AT LEAST one million illegal immigrant deportations per year, thousands of miles of new border wall and barriers, 18,000+ new immigration officials, and pay raises for our great ICE and Border Patrol agents.
Protecting Medicaid for American citizens who need it. This ENDS taxpayer-funded benefits for at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants who are gaming the system and requires able-bodied Americans to work if they receive benefits.
Pay raises for troops. This increases special pay for servicemembers and gives them higher allowances for housing, healthcare, and family assistance.
Ending taxpayer-funded chemical castration and mutilation. It reverses the Biden-era mandate that Medicaid cover so-called “gender transition” procedures.
Modernizing air traffic control. This will allow President Trump to act where the Biden Administration failed by completely overhauling the systems that keep Americans flying safely and efficiently.
Revolutionizing the nation’s defense. This funds President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense shield, restocks America’s arsenal, expands our naval fleet, and improves military readiness to meet the needs of a changing world.
Protecting family farmers. The bill prevents the greedy death tax from hitting two million family-owned farms that would otherwise see their exemptions cut in half and cuts taxes on farmers by over $10 billion.
Unleashing American energy dominance. The bill increases onshore and offshore oil and gas leases, spurs job growth, makes energy more affordable, and makes America less dependent on foreign adversaries.
Reversing runaway spending. This delivers $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings — the most in U.S. history and the largest deficit reduction in nearly 30 years.