The GOP’s ambitious “Big, Beautiful Bill” encountered significant challenges late Wednesday night, uniting some hard-line conservatives with moderate Republicans and a group of supporters.
A lawmaker returned to the House chamber at 9:30 PM to kick off a debate over this large-scale initiative, which included a procedural vote for final passage.
However, the effort stalled when three hard-line conservatives—Reps. Keith Self (R-Texas), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.)—along with moderate Republican Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) voted against the proposed rules. Additionally, nine other Republicans abstained from voting altogether, which left party leaders without the necessary majority to start discussions on the bill.
The vote lingered at 207-216 for some time, as all Democrats opposed the package. But then Rep. David Baradao (R-Calif.) broke the silence shortly after 11 PM, casting his vote in favor, though it didn’t significantly shift the momentum.
As the clock approached midnight, the tally changed to 207-217, reflecting five GOP “NO” votes and eight Republicans who still hadn’t voted.
The eight abstaining members included: Josh Bretzin (R-Okla.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Eric Burrison (R-Mo.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Andy Harris (R-MD.), Bob Onder (R-Mo.), Scott Perry (R-PA.), and Chip Roy (R-Texas).
This deadlock placed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a difficult position.
“I made that commitment to the members,” Johnson told Fox News’ Sean Hannity just before 11 PM. “This is part of the process,” he said, noting that they wanted to resolve some loose ends concerning a Senate version of the bill, which he implied wasn’t as favorable compared to the House version. “We’re trying to balance everything,” he added.
Johnson addressed the three GOP “NO” votes, describing their reasoning as “placeholders.”
“I mentioned, ‘I’m searching for a fourth vote out of four,'” Johnson remarked. He insisted everyone was sincere in their pursuits, stating a collective aim to promote their agenda.
The deadlock wasn’t entirely unexpected. Before they called for a procedural vote, a few hard-line conservatives had voiced that they wouldn’t support the measure unless they received more clarity on the package’s policies, likely to quell their fears and encourage their votes.
Still, Johnson decided to push for the vote, challenging their hesitation.
Some Republicans, like Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), showed leniency toward the initial opposition and supported the procedural vote after a full day of discussions on the bill.
“We’ve laid out our plans clearly,” Norman told reporters. “I’ve explained how the IRA will be managed. Details will be discussed further tomorrow, but I’m content with today’s progress.”
The way forward for the leadership remains uncertain. As midnight approached, lawmakers were in disarray, with the vote count still in limbo.
Johnson mentioned that Trump reached out to the remaining holdouts late Wednesday, expressing willingness to assist in bringing them on board.
“He called me about an hour ago, asking who else needs to be convinced. I told him, ‘President, you’ll handle your side, and we’ll handle ours,'” Johnson shared with Hannity.
