Symbolic victory on the eve of July 4. Donald Trump won the first major legislative battle of his second mandate on Thursday with the adoption, in forceps, of his vast budgetary law. After a tight vote in the Senate on Tuesday, the House of Representatives validated the text of 869 pages, baptized by the president himself the “great and beautiful law”. Initially scheduled for Wednesday, the final vote was delayed by several hours, in particular by a final attempt to obstruct the Democrats leader, Hakeem Jeffries, who spoke for almost nine hours – a record in the House – to try to postpone the deadline.
Despite the opposition of several conservative elected officials worried about the digging of public debt, only two Republicans finally voted against the text. A success allowed by intense negotiations behind the scenes and the personal intervention of Donald Trump, reports AFP. During the night from Wednesday to Thursday on his Truth Social platform, the president multiplied the pressure strokes: “What are the Republicans waiting for ??? What are you trying to prove ??? »» he wrote, before adding in capital letters: “Maga is not happy, and it costs you voices.”
According to the president of the room, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump personally phoned several hesitant elected officials until late at night to rally them to his cause. The date of July 4, the day of the national holiday, had been set as an expiration by the president for the promulgation of this central text in his economic agenda.
Tax credits, tips and defense
Among the flagship measures of this law are the extension of generous tax credits put in place during Trump’s first mandate, the abolition of taxation on tips – one of its campaign promises – and a substantial increase in budgets allocated to defense and the fight against immigration.
$ 3,400 billion in additional debt by 2034
But according to the projections of independent experts, these measures will mainly benefit the wealthiest households. Modest households could lose access to several social programs such as Medicaid (Public Health Insurance) or SNAP (main food aid), targeted by drastic cuts. Democrats voted unanimously against. For Hakeem Jeffries, this bill is a “Repagnant monstrosity” Who “Will make ordinary Americans suffer” for the benefit of the richest.
Voted Thursday, promulgated Friday
The Congress’s budgetary office, a non -partisan body, estimated on Tuesday that this legislation could increase federal debt by more than $ 3,400 billion by 2034. A figure that motivated the initial refusal of certain Republicans. “I came to Washington to help brake our national debt”Keith Self, elected from Texas, was prevailing to justify his negative vote during the prior procedure. He accused the Senate of having “Broken” the initial version of the text adopted in the Chamber, speaking of a “Morality question”. A few hours later, he too rallied to the text … under pressure from President Trump?
In an attempt to contain the explosion of the deficit, the Republicans will drastically reduce social assistance, while sanding tax incentives in favor of renewable energies voted under Joe Biden. No time to waste. Donald Trump will promulgate his “big and beautiful law” this Friday.
