The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed what Republicans call the “One Big Beautiful Bill” late Wednesday night, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to sign it into law during a July 4 ceremony at the White House. The legislation—sweeping in scope—slashes programs like Medicaid and food assistance, while enacting major tax cuts and raising the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion.
The final 218-214 vote came after all-day negotiations and overnight debate, with Democrats unified in opposition and two Republicans breaking ranks. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, confirmed the bill would be signed by Trump on the nation’s 249th birthday. “What more appropriate time to pass the big, beautiful bill for America than on Independence Day?” he said, according to USA TODAY.
The bill is being described as the crown jewel of Trump’s second-term economic agenda. It permanently extends the 2017 tax cuts, introduces new tax breaks for tipped and overtime workers, and enhances incentives for businesses—while cutting clean energy subsidies implemented under President Biden. According to USA TODAY, the measure is expected to increase the federal deficit by roughly $3.4 trillion over the next decade.
But while the bill has been championed by Republican leaders as a triumph for economic growth and conservative fiscal policy, Catholic observers and advocates for the poor are raising alarms over the human toll.
Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, who broke the record for longest House speech—speaking for more than eight-and-a-half hours—warned that the bill will gravely harm the vulnerable. “People will die. Tens of thousands, year after year after year, as a result of the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people,” Jeffries said in the House chamber. He described the legislation as “a crime scene,” pointing to the estimated 12 million people who could lose Medicaid coverage and the 2 million individuals projected to be removed from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Such drastic reductions in the social safety net are of deep concern to many in the Catholic community, whose tradition of social teaching emphasizes the preferential option for the poor and the dignity of human life. Catholic organizations have long defended access to healthcare and food assistance as essential moral obligations of a just society.
Speaker Johnson and other Republicans celebrated the bill’s passage with a press conference accompanied by the song “YMCA,” a familiar tune at Trump’s campaign rallies. “We had a vision for what we wanted to do,” Johnson said, as reported by USA TODAY’s Riley Beggin. “I believed in this vision. I believed in the group. I believe in America.”
Vice President JD Vance shared on social media that one undecided House member was swayed to vote “yes” after watching Jeffries’ lengthy speech, saying it had the opposite effect intended.
The timing of the vote allows Trump to promote the law at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, kicking off a yearlong celebration leading up to the nation’s 250th birthday. The White House confirmed that Trump will sign the bill at 5 p.m. EDT on July 4. “Today is a victorious day for the American people,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She called the legislation “an encapsulation of all of the policies that the president campaigned on” (USA TODAY, Joey Garrison).
Still, not all Republicans were on board. Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania voted against the bill, despite intense efforts by party leadership to maintain unity. Both lawmakers cited concerns about fiscal responsibility and the bill’s impact on vulnerable Americans.
As debate continues, Republican leaders are already planning a second budget package. “We’re getting this done early enough in the year that we still have time to do another one,” said Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, chair of the House Republican Policy Committee. According to USA TODAY’s Sudiksha Kochi, Hern said he hopes to include “all the things we didn’t get in this one.”
For Catholics following this legislation, the bill’s spiritual implications may be as serious as the economic ones. As the nation prepares to celebrate its independence, many in the Church may find themselves praying that the pursuit of prosperity does not come at the cost of mercy.
