President Donald Trump’s grand vision for a fiscal overhaul just hit a brick wall. The House Budget Committee, in a stunning 21-16 vote, rejected his “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) on Friday, thanks to five Republican rebels who dared to defy the MAGA playbook, as the New York Post reports. Apparently, not everyone’s dazzled by “beautiful” promises.
The OBBB, a colossal reconciliation measure, crumbled under opposition from GOP fiscal hawks who warned it would balloon the federal deficit by $3.3 trillion over a decade, per the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. If Trump’s 2017 tax cuts -- barring IRS payments on tips, overtime, or Social Security -- are locked in permanently, that deficit could swell to $5.2 trillion by 2034. Talk about a pricey legacy, critics say.
Leading the charge against the bill were Reps. Chip Roy, Ralph Norman, Josh Brecheen, Andrew Clyde, and Lloyd Smucker, who refused to rubber-stamp the $3.8 trillion tax-cut package. Roy griped, “This bill falls profoundly short,” slamming its “backloaded savings” and “front-loaded spending.” Sounds like someone’s reading the fine print.
The bill’s text dropped Monday from the House Ways and Means Committee, setting the stage for Friday’s showdown. Roy and Norman didn’t even stick around for the full Budget Committee hearing, bolting after Chairman Jodey Arrington admitted the bill needed serious work. Only three GOP defectors were needed to tank it -- five was overkill.
“I do not anticipate us coming back today,” Arrington sighed, clearly frustrated by the chaos. The committee now plans to reconvene Sunday at 10 p.m. to salvage the measure. Good luck herding those cats.
Trump, predictably, didn’t take kindly to the rebellion. “Republicans MUST UNITE behind, ‘THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!’” he thundered, accusing dissenters of being “GRANDSTANDERS” who’ll let taxes skyrocket 65%. His math’s as creative as his rhetoric, but it’s not winning over the skeptics.
The bill’s Medicaid changes, slated for 2029, would curb benefits for “able-bodied” Americans and non-citizens getting emergency services. Democrats warn this could strip 8.6 million Americans from Medicaid, though Republicans counter that 1.4 million of those are illegal immigrants. Either way, it’s a political landmine.
The Congressional Budget Office noted that taxpayers shelled out $16 billion under Biden for emergency Medicaid services to illegal immigrants. Republicans argue the bill protects Medicaid for “those in real need,” as Trump put it. But cutting benefits to score points? Risky move.
Roy doubled down, warning, “We are writing checks we cannot cash, and our children are gonna pay the price.” His call for “serious reforms” before Sunday’s vote signals the fiscal hawks aren’t budging. Trump’s “beautiful” bill might need more than a weekend makeover.
House Speaker Mike Johnson scrambled Thursday to appease both fiscal hardliners and New York Republicans worried about the $30,000 state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap. “If you do more on SALT, you have to find more in savings,” Johnson insisted, claiming the bill’s “very very close” to deficit-neutral. Wishful thinking, perhaps?
New York’s Nicole Malliotakis defended the bill, saying, “We successfully pushed back on New York’s Medicaid from being cut.” But her jab at dissenters -- “What these members are doing is telling the country that they want to see a $4 trillion tax increase” -- misses the mark. Fiscal restraint isn’t a tax hike; it’s common sense.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee proposed $900 billion in cuts, including Medicaid work requirements, to offset the bill’s costs. Yet the CRFB’s $3.3 trillion deficit estimate suggests those cuts are a drop in the bucket. Numbers don’t lie, even if politicians try.
If the bill somehow clears the Budget Committee on Sunday, it could sail through the House and Senate with a simple majority via reconciliation. That’s a big “if,” given the GOP’s internal squabbles. Unity’s harder to come by than Trump’s superlatives.
Smucker, one of the five defectors, claimed his “no” vote was just “procedural” to keep the bill alive for Sunday’s redo. “I fully support the One Big Beautiful Bill,” he said, trying to thread the needle. Nice try, but actions speak louder than press releases.
Trump’s vision of tax cuts and Medicaid reform may sound bold, but it’s teetering on the edge of fiscal recklessness. The GOP rebels aren’t grandstanding -- they’re sounding the alarm on a bill that promises more than it can deliver. Sunday’s vote will show if “beautiful” can also mean “balanced.”
