The GOP-led House Rules Committee had a marathon hearing and finally pushed through a comprehensive package for President Donald Trump’s agenda on Wednesday night. The committee members convened at 1 a.m. ET and wrapped up around 10:40 p.m. ET before voting 8-4 along party lines. The vote took place shortly after Republicans introduced a series of revisions to the extensive bill, following last-minute negotiations to appease various factions within the party. This included conservative hard-liners and blue-state Republicans who were threatening to derail the measure. The 42-page amendment to the multi-trillion-dollar legislation involved accelerating the enforcement of work requirements for eligible Medicaid recipients by two years, moving the deadline to the end of 2026. It also entailed phasing out clean energy tax credits sooner and expanding the federal deduction for state and local taxes to $40,000 for individuals earning less than $500,000 annually.
GOP leaders made significant changes to Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” with some key alterations in various areas. One major change involved modifications to Medicaid, particularly in expediting the timeline for work requirements for able-bodied adults aged 18 to 64 to qualify for Medicaid benefits. The new language allowed states to adjust the start date even earlier if they wished. Additionally, states that rejected Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act would receive higher payments as an incentive not to expand the program. Another notable adjustment was the quicker phasing out of clean energy tax breaks, cutting off certain tax credits for facilities starting construction after a specified date. Furthermore, the bill aimed to boost the SALT cap, raising the deduction limit for state and local taxes to $40,000 for individuals making less than $500,000 annually, with incremental increases over ten years.
In a somewhat trivial change, Republicans decided to rename tax-preferred savings accounts initially known as “MAGA Accounts” to “Trump Accounts.” The alteration was noted in the manager’s amendment, reflecting the new name for these accounts. The push for these changes came amid intense negotiations and discussions within the party to address various concerns and priorities. As the House prepared for a vote on the package, Speaker Mike Johnson aimed to schedule the vote for either Wednesday night or Thursday morning, navigating a slim majority in the chamber. Overall, the revisions and amendments to the bill reflected the efforts to accommodate different factions within the GOP and advance Trump’s legislative agenda.
