The Push for a Major Bill: House Republicans Aim to Pass Trump's Agenda

The House of Representatives is still aiming to pass a significant bill by the end of the week. This bill, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act, " is a crucial part of President Donald Trump's agenda. The bill faced a setback on Friday when some Republicans, both hard-liners and moderates, opposed it. Despite this, Speaker Mike Johnson remains optimistic. He believes that the House Budget Committee will vote to advance the bill on Sunday night. This vote is a crucial step before the bill can be put to a vote on the House floor later in the week. The deadline for this is Memorial Day. The bill includes major tax cuts, but these will be funded by significant spending cuts. One of the most notable cuts is hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid. This has been a point of contention. Some Republicans want to start Medicaid work requirements earlier than the bill currently allows. The bill as it stands now sets the start date for 2029, but conservatives want it to begin as early as 2027. Johnson is working with these hard-liners to find a compromise. He understands that some states need time to adjust their systems to meet these new requirements. The goal is to find the earliest possible date that is also practical. Johnson has been in close contact with the Senate. He hopes that the Senate will not make many changes to the House bill. The bill has been carefully negotiated and balanced, and Johnson believes that significant changes could delay its passage. The deadline for passing the bill is July 4, which is also the deadline to address the debt limit and avoid a default. Johnson is confident that the bill will be passed and sent to the president's desk by this date. The urgency of passing this bill has been highlighted by a recent downgrade of the U. S. government's credit rating. Moody's Ratings lowered the rating from Aaa to Aa1, citing the government's rising debt. This is the last of the three major rating agencies to downgrade the U. S. government's credit. Johnson sees this as a reason to pass the bill, which includes historic spending cuts. He believes that this will help to change the trajectory of the U. S. economy and send a message of stability to the rest of the world. It will also show the urgency of the situation and the need for the legislation.