Trump blasts GOP holdouts on ‘big beautiful bill’: ‘MAGA is not happy’
In a post to Truth Social, former President Donald Trump expressed frustration with House Republicans who are delaying a procedural vote on the proposed “big, beautiful bill,” which aims to extend tax cuts instituted in 2017. Trump urged GOP members to move forward, stating that their indecision is disheartening MAGA supporters and jeopardizing votes. As of early Thursday morning, five Republican representatives had voted against the rule, with several others remaining uncommitted. Speaker Mike Johnson highlighted the need for all non-voting Republicans to support the initiative, as losing too many votes could derail the bill. Despite challenges, Johnson and other House leaders are working diligently to persuade hesitant members to support the legislation, emphasizing its importance for the party.
Trump says MAGA is ‘not happy’ as holdouts stall ‘big, beautiful bill’ rule vote
President Donald Trump is losing patience with House Republican holdouts as the procedural rule vote on the “big beautiful bill” has remained open for nearly three hours.
In a post to Truth Social, Trump recycled old talking points about the bill that extends the 2017 tax cuts and called on the GOP to move forward with the vote.
“What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES,” Trump said.
In another post, the president said, “FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!”
The rule vote opened at 9:33 p.m., with five Republicans, as of 1 a.m. Thursday morning, voting against the rule: Reps. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Keith Self (R-TX), and Victoria Spartz (R-IN).
Eight Republicans — Reps. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Andy Harris (R-MD), Bob Onder (R-MO), Scott Perry (R-PA), and Chip Roy (R-TX) — have not cast a vote as of 12:40 a.m.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) can only afford to lose three votes, so he needs all eight non-voting Republicans to vote “yes” and two “no” Republicans to switch their votes.
“I’ll keep it open as long as it takes,” Johnson said in a phone call to the Hannity show, referring to the rule vote.
Massie was originally a yes on the rule, telling the Washington Examiner he didn’t get why people would vote against the rule.
“I don’t know, if you’re ‘no’ on the bill, vote no on the bill,” Massie said. “I don’t understand the ‘no’ on the rule.”
But then, he switched his vote to yes after he was seen chatting briefly with Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) on the floor. He told News Of The United States he switched his vote because “most of the world doesn’t understand the difference between a rule vote and final passage.”
Massie is expected to be a no vote on the bill, but he likely switched his vote to “no” on the rule in case the rule fails, so his record would show he was against the “big, beautiful bill.”
Johnson and House leaders have been working all day to sway holdouts, with a vote on the amendment to the rule held earlier in the day breaking the record for the longest continuous vote held open in modern history.
‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ STALLS IN HOUSE AS LEADERSHIP WORKS TO PERSUADE HOLDOUTS
Fiscal hawks are the main voting bloc for leadership to convince to vote for the rule. But Fitzpatrick’s “no” vote came as a surprise, with sources telling the Washington Examiner he did not attend the meeting with fellow centrist GOP lawmakers at the White House earlier on Wednesday.
After casting their “no” votes, reporters saw both Fitzpatrick and Self immediately leave the chamber. Johnson and leadership are now tasked with tracking down the dissenters and holdouts to convince them that the “big, beautiful bill” is the “best product we could produce” in order to move forward.
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