President Trump’s ambitious “One Big Beautiful Bill” faced a setback on Friday afternoon when four conservative Republicans voted against it, citing insufficient reforms to Green Energy Tax Credits amid ongoing discussions around Medicaid and the Biden administration’s policies.
The proposal did not pass the House Budget Committee, failing with a 16-21 vote. Texas Republican lawmakers, along with Ralph Norman from South Carolina, Josh Bretzin from Oklahoma, and Andrew Clyde from Georgia—all part of the conservative Freedom Caucus—joined Democrats in opposing the bill. They indicated their intention to keep negotiating with House GOP leadership over the weekend, especially as House Speaker Mike Johnson prepares to advance legislation connected to the Chamber of Commerce on his own anniversary as speaker.
Lloyd Smucker, the vice chair of the Budget Committee, also voted “no” for procedural reasons.
This failure marks an early challenge for Trump’s legislative goals, as the package included significant elements such as an extension of the president’s 2017 tax cuts and additional border security funding. Importantly, it aimed to restrict Medicaid funding for procedures related to child sex changes. Trump urged committee Republicans to support the bill, but four Freedom Caucus members temporarily stalled its momentum.
“The Republican Party doesn’t need grandstanding,” Trump expressed on True Social on Friday morning. “Stop talking and get it done!”
On the Budget Committee, California Republican Rep. Tom McClintock voted “yes,” criticizing the four Republicans who opposed the bill for pledging not to raise taxes while fighting a package viewed as the largest tax increase in U.S. history.
Nonetheless, those four conservative holdouts effectively derailed the budget package, seeking to delay the implementation of Medicaid work requirements until 2029 and advocating for a phased reduction, rather than complete removal, of green energy subsidies. They stated that they would work through the weekend to negotiate a resolution with the president’s expansive tax and spending proposal.
Norman remarked, “That’s money we don’t need to spend. This business doesn’t have income to cover these expenses—it’s just smoke and mirrors.”
He reiterated the necessity of initiating Medicaid job requirements sooner than 2029 and fully eliminating green energy subsidies, aligning with Trump’s requests. Following the vote, Roy and Brecheen introduced the Energy Freedom Act, which seeks to remove green energy subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Smucker, who initially supported the bill, changed his vote from “yes” to “no” to allow for reconsideration. He expressed optimism that negotiations would eventually lead to agreement on the bill.
Smucker noted, “We have a diverse conference with very narrow margins, which means it takes time to work through these issues. The timeline offered by the speaker was very ambitious.”
House Budget Committee Chairman Geordie Arrington commented on the need for votes to clarify the holdouts’ concerns, despite the challenges of gaining Republican support.
“We can’t achieve anything without a clearer understanding of where everyone stands,” Arrington stated. He added that the legislation is close to where it needs to be for further progress.
“This size might not satisfy everyone, but it’s a solid bill that will significantly benefit the American people, and we need to make it happen.”
