In a huge victory for Oklahoma, Congress recently passed President Donald Trump’s &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; which, among many wins, will deliver the largest-ever tax cut for working and middle-class families, secure the border, and lower energy costs.
Unfortunately, Washington Democrats who are desperate to change the media narrative after a brutal 2024 election loss have made it their mission to lie about this bill and mislead American families — especially on Medicaid program improvements.
Democrats claim the bill guts the program. But in reality, Republicans voted to protect and strengthen Medicaid for those who need it most.
Medicaid’s long-term stability is at risk. During the Obama administration, Democrats expanded Medicaid eligibility to include able-bodied adults — adding 20 million able-bodied people to the program rolls between 2013 and 2021. Today, roughly 35 million Americans are living below the poverty line, while over 70 million people are on Medicaid. What’s worse, a stunning 36% of Medicaid spending is on able-bodied working-age adults — most of whom are not working.
What was first designed as a critical social safety net for America’s most vulnerable — including pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, and low-income seniors and families — has quickly ballooned into an unsustainable mess at risk of bankruptcy.
The Big, Beautiful Bill will protect Medicaid benefits for those who need them most and help move millions of able-bodied adults with no children from welfare to work — all while saving taxpayers billions of dollars. By the way, only in Washington is increasing current Medicaid spending levels by 20% over the next 10 years seen as a “cut.”
<div id="attachment_946503" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-946503" class="size-large wp-image-946503" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2217840160-864x576.jpg" alt="Senator Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, bounces a ball after leaving the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. President Donald Trump worked the phones Monday and took to social media to try to sway Republican holdouts on his multi-trillion dollar tax bill, encountering conflicting demands from GOP senators even as he urged them to move swiftly. Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2217840160-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2217840160-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2217840160-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2217840160.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
This bill includes popular Clinton-era work requirements for able-bodied adults ages 19-64 with no dependents, and includes exceptions for pregnant women, new mothers, and those facing short-term hardships. Under this commonsense law, eligible recipients must complete 20 hours of work, education, or volunteering per week to receive taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits.
To protect and sustain the Medicaid program, the only people who will see a change in coverage are illegal immigrants, those who are already ineligible for the program, and able-bodied adults ages 19-64 with dependents over 14 years old who choose not to work, volunteer, or go to school for just 20 hours per week.
Most Americans recognize that without commonsense reform, Medicaid would be at a higher risk of collapse. As promised, Republicans are getting the waste, fraud, and abuse out of Medicaid to protect the well-being of America’s most vulnerable. Despite the Democrats&#8217; gross lies, the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; will strengthen and protect the social safety net for every eligible American who needs it. In passing President Trump&#8217;s historic bill, Republicans are ensuring Medicaid can better serve the neediest Americans for generations to come.
U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin represents the state of Oklahoma. He serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Appropriations Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee; and the Indian Affairs Committee.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Republican Lawmakers Work To Pass Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” On Capitol Hill

How The One Big, Beautiful Bill Sustains And Saves Medicaid

Congress

John Thune

Markwayne Mullin

Medicaid

Opinion

President Trump

Tax Cuts

U.S. Senate

The House passed President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” on Thursday, overcoming significant Democratic opposition and internal Republican hesitancy to hand the president a major legislative victory. 
The Republican-controlled House voted 218-214 to pass the measure shortly after Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrapped up an hours-long speech delaying the bill’s advancement. Trump, who imposed a July 4 deadline for its passage, is expected to sign the bill at the White House sometime on Friday.  
&#8220;With one big, beautiful bill, we are going to make this country stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before. And every American is going to benefit from this,&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson said just before the vote. &#8220;Today we are laying a key cornerstone of America&#8217;s new golden age.&#8221;
To reach the final vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) spent hours working with Republican holdouts to get them to back the measure. Once he opened up the vote on advancing the bill to final debate, Johnson said he would keep the vote open as long as needed to secure the votes. 
“It will have all been worth it in the end. And we will meet our July 4 deadline, which everybody mocked when I said it,” Johnson told reporters after midnight on Thursday. 
By 3:30 a.m., Johnson had the votes, and the House voted 219-213 to send the bill to a final debate and vote. 
After that vote, Jeffries spoke for more than eight hours, utilizing a rule that allows House leadership members to speak for as long as they want. During his speech, Jeffries accused Republicans of imperiling the welfare of Americans who rely on programs like Medicaid and food stamps.
Throughout the night Trump also pushed Republicans to back the measure, which makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent, increases funding for border security, enacts work requirements for able-bodied recipients of Medicaid and food stamps, defunds Planned Parenthood for a year, funds the “Golden Dome” missile defense program, and ends taxes on tips and overtime. 
“Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy,” Trump posted on Truth Social late Wednesday night as the legislation stalled. “What are Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY.”
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By morning, Trump was celebrating. 
“What a great night it was. One of the most consequential Bills ever. The USA is the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, by far!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social. 
Republican leadership also celebrated the passage of the bill.
&#8220;From the moment President Trump was re-elected, the Republican Study Committee fought tirelessly with conservatives in and beyond the halls of Congress to shape this historic reconciliation process,&#8221; said Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger. &#8220;As a result of that relentless effort, our members secured transformational provisions that advance the RSC&#8217;s core policy priorities and cement President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda.”
The Senate faced a similar marathon legislative process to pass the bill, spending all of Monday night and Tuesday morning considering amendments before holding a final vote. Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 split after three Republicans refused to vote for the bill. The Senate made several major changes as it received the bill from the House, including moving to cut the solar and wind tax and stripping a provision that would have paused all state regulations of artificial intelligence for 10 years.

President Trump Attends GOP House Caucus Meeting On Capitol Hill As Budget Bill Faces Resistance

Big, Beautiful, And On The Way To Trump’s Desk: Congress Passes Historic Spending Bill

Donald Trump

House of Representatives

Politics

Senate

spending

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday dismissed the debt-focused <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-warns-republicans-vote-for-big-beautiful-bill-lose-your-next-primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacks</a> by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk against Republicans who back the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; championed by President Donald Trump.
During an evening interview on Fox News, Bessent assured host Laura Ingraham that the legislation would be the start of Washington&#8217;s effort to get its financial house in order, after being pressed on Musk&#8217;s threat to back primary challengers against GOP lawmakers who vote for it.
&#8220;As I said earlier this morning, I think if Elon sticks to rockets, I will stick to finance,&#8221; Bessent said, alluding to how Musk owns SpaceX. &#8220;And, you know, I am confident that this bill is going to pay down the debt and there were 50 senators who weren’t threatened by his words.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Bessent fires back at <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> criticism
“If Elon sticks to rockets, I&#8217;ll stick to finance. I&#8217;m confident this bill pays down debt. 50 senators weren’t threatened by his words— <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> broke the tie. Trump’s shown incredible leadership moving this forward.” —Treasury… <a href="https://t.co/Rqxpp7DXeU">pic.twitter.com/Rqxpp7DXeU</a>
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) <a href="https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1940193218060026061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
GOP leaders in Congress have been racing to get the legislation to Trump by his stated deadline of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/down-to-the-wire-can-congress-meet-trumps-july-4-deadline-for-the-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 4</a>. Topline items include extending the 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year; boosting funds for border security and the military; cutting red tape for American energy production; and raising the debt ceiling by trillions of dollars.
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The Senate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-scores-major-victory-as-vance-helps-push-big-beautiful-bill-through-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> on Tuesday the 800+<a href="https://x.com/jamiedupree/status/1940096392199852393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">page</a> bill, which aims to fulfill many of Trump&#8217;s spending and tax-cut goals for his second term, by a 51-50 vote. Vice President JD Vance broke a tie after three Republicans — Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Susan Collins (R-ME) — broke ranks and opposed the measure.
In addition to raising concerns about Medicaid cuts, critics of the bill are spooked by estimates showing it would add trillions of dollars to the national debt. Its defenders insist the legislation will help grow the economy in a way that crushes the problem in the long term.
Musk, whose alliance with President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-very-disappointed-with-elon-musk-fires-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crumbled</a> several weeks ago after he began openly criticizing the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; warned on Monday that he would actively work toward ensuring GOP lawmakers who voted for the legislation, despite GOP campaign promises to rein in government spending, get voted out of office.
&#8220;Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1939776586989150590" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X. &#8220;And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.&#8221;
Such a move would mark a massive turnaround for Musk, who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/31/elon-musk-trump-donor-2024-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent more</a> than $250 million to help Trump and other Republicans win elections last year before spearheading the current administration&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort through roughly the end of May with a stated mission of getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-doge-is-the-monster-that-might-have-to-go-back-and-eat-elon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot back</a> at Musk, who also proposed a new political party, suggesting that &#8220;DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon&#8221; and suggested any subsidies his companies get might be in jeopardy. The president himself threatened to rally behind primary challengers against Republicans who oppose the bill. One of them, Tillis, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tillis-buckles-to-trump-threat-wont-seek-reelection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Sunday that he would not seek re-election. Another is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-warns-republicans-vote-for-big-beautiful-bill-lose-your-next-primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he would support.
Bessent voiced confidence in the bill&#8217;s prospects as the House considered the Senate-amended version, even as some GOP lawmakers derided <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-major-things-the-senate-changed-in-the-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changes</a> made by the upper chamber.
&#8220;President Trump has shown incredible leadership on this and in conjunction with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA),&#8221; Bessent said, &#8220;I think they are going to hold the majorities together and push this forward.&#8221;

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

‘If Elon Sticks To Rockets, I Will Stick To Finance’: Bessent Shrugs Off Musk Debt Drama

Elon Musk

Scott Bessent

Spending Bill

U.S. House of Representatives

President Donald Trump scored another major legislative victory on Tuesday with the GOP-led Senate narrowly passing &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; with the help of Vice President JD Vance, keeping alive the prospect of Congress getting the centerpiece measure to his desk by Independence Day.
The 800-<a href="https://x.com/jamiedupree/status/1940096392199852393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">page</a>-plus bill, which aims to fulfill many of Trump&#8217;s spending and tax-cut goals for his second term, triumphed in a 51-50 vote after a marathon &#8220;vote-a-rama&#8221; session on amendments and intense deliberations between members during which leadership managed to win over just enough Republicans to get the measure over the finish line.
Because the bill is making its way through Congress through the budget reconciliation process, the Senate was able to bypass the 60-vote filibuster and pass the measure with only a simple majority. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who raised concerns about Medicaid cuts, and Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) voted against the bill with the Democrats and independents. Vance broke a 50-50 tie.
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GOP leaders in the House and Senate have been racing to get the bill to Trump by his stated deadline of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/down-to-the-wire-can-congress-meet-trumps-july-4-deadline-for-the-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 4</a>. Topline items include extending the 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year, boosting funds for border security and the military, cutting red tape for American energy production, and raising the debt ceiling by trillions of dollars.
&#8220;Republicans, the One Big Beautiful Bill, perhaps the greatest and most important of its kind in history, gives the largest Tax Cuts and Border Security ever, Jobs by the Millions, Military/Vets increases, and so much more,&#8221; Trump said in an overnight <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114775981239886599" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;The failure to pass means a whopping 68% Tax increase, the largest in history!!!&#8221;
Now the bill is headed back to the House, where it initially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-one-big-beautiful-bill-in-massive-win-for-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> in late May. The House Rules Committee is expected to meet as early as noon. If the panel is able to pass a rule for consideration of the bill, the full House will come into play. However, there will likely not be a quick resolution. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUAhVS_GsVs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week that he would honor the customary 72 hours to allow members three days to review the text of the legislation. He also <a href="https://x.com/meredithllee/status/1938613838582026495" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conceded</a> that it is &#8220;possible&#8221; the bill&#8217;s timeline may slide past July 4, Trump&#8217;s stated deadline.
Many changes have been made over the past month. That is due in part to the Senate Parliamentarian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-furious-as-unelected-bureaucrat-yanks-conservative-elements-from-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">determining</a> that certain provisions did not adhere to the rules for the reconciliation process.
Sections that did not make the final cut included a 10-year artificial intelligence law <a href="https://x.com/commercedems/status/1939989882874519711" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moratorium</a> on the states and a <a href="https://x.com/SenMikeLee/status/1939132778605388207" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal</a> from Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) to sell public lands.
Ultimately, the process could come down to a Friday showdown on the House floor. Fiscal hawks in the lower chamber have been raising concerns about the Senate version <a href="https://x.com/freedomcaucus/status/1939739118113546623" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ballooning</a> the national debt. Any further changes would need to be approved by the House and Senate.
Johnson <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1939742277686964474" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X that the bill will be &#8220;JET FUEL&#8221; for the United States economy. &#8220;It makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, provides tax relief for seniors, and slashes regulations to spur job creation and economic growth,&#8221; he added.
Trump has threatened to back primary challengers against Republicans who have opposed the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221; One of them, Tillis, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tillis-buckles-to-trump-threat-wont-seek-reelection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Sunday he would not seek re-election. Another is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-warns-republicans-vote-for-big-beautiful-bill-lose-your-next-primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he would support, while also warning Republicans who voted to pass the legislation that he would actively work to ensure they lose their next primary.

US President Donald Trump, alongside Vice President JD Vance

Trump Scores Major Victory As Vance Helps Push ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Through Senate

JD Vance

Mike Johnson

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Monday he will actively work toward ensuring GOP lawmakers who vote to pass the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; despite campaigning on promises to rein in government spending will lose their primaries.
The warning from Musk, whose alliance with President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-very-disappointed-with-elon-musk-fires-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crumbled</a> several weeks ago after he began openly criticizing the legislation, came as Republicans worked toward getting the 900-page-plus measure passed by the end of this week through the budget reconciliation process.
&#8220;Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1939776586989150590" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X. &#8220;And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.&#8221;
Such a move would mark a huge turnaround for Musk, who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/31/elon-musk-trump-donor-2024-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent more</a> than $250 million to help Trump and other Republicans win elections last year before spearheading the current administration&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency effort through last month with a stated mission of getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse.
Musk also <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1939769910156304866" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chided</a> members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and begrudged how the bill may phase out green energy tax credits that could <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/senate-megabill-stuns-the-clean-energy-industry-with-a-new-excise-tax-b1251d01?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAhG_LnmWZC4DkC35HF0UbvFjFx8HIJKtxSkrEFzTJqJITQN0NIbhONydttyrLI%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6863051e&amp;gaa_sig=68b8EmgvRi7xWB9FzYX3zokwhT9RY-VH5HOyAkOQBC4jeVIFlZJpZAJAEnqy-gBem47wPHozbXhoNJGdJPpsAg%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impact</a> customers of his Tesla business. He even proposed the creation of a new political party.
&#8220;It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1939762942851027127" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, adding <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1939806847504105683" target="_blank" rel="noopener">later</a>, &#8220;If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day. Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.&#8221;
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Trump has similarly threatened to back primary challengers against Republicans, but he did so against those who have spoken out against the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221; One of them, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tillis-buckles-to-trump-threat-wont-seek-reelection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Sunday he would not seek re-election. Another is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1939823052566708554" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he would support.
GOP leaders in the House and Senate are racing to get the legislation, which aims to fulfill many of Trump&#8217;s spending and tax-cut goals for his second term, to the president&#8217;s desk by his stated deadline of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/down-to-the-wire-can-congress-meet-trumps-july-4-deadline-for-the-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 4</a>. Topline items include extending the 2017 tax cuts set to expire at the end of this year, boosting funds for border security, and cutting red tape for American energy production.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1939742277686964474" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X the bill will be &#8220;JET FUEL&#8221; for the United States economy. &#8220;It makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, provides tax relief for seniors, and slashes regulations to spur job creation and economic growth,&#8221; he said.
While the legislation did initially pass out of the House in late May, provisions in the bill have undergone a makeover, in part because the Senate parliamentarian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-furious-as-unelected-bureaucrat-yanks-conservative-elements-from-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">determined</a> they did not adhere to rules for reconciliation. As of press time, the process was ongoing as the upper chamber worked through a vote-a-rama on amendments.
Some, but not all <a href="https://x.com/JohnCornyn/status/1939786916527735287" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> reforms, including an offering from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to &#8220;punish states that give Medicaid benefits to illegal aliens convicted or charged with crimes like murder or sex trafficking,&#8221; do not appear to be making it into the final product.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), one of the Freedom Caucus members singled out by Musk, took a swipe at Senate Republicans for how their version of the bill is shaping up.
&#8220;We’d be in a much better spot if Republican Senators (applying for K St) showed half as much passion for tackling $37 trillion in debt and inflation as they do for preserving [Former President Joe] Biden’s green subsidies,&#8221; Roy <a href="https://x.com/chiproytx/status/1939768941515030539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X.

Elon Musk Warns Republicans: Vote For ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ Lose Your Next Primary

Chip Roy

Election

Lawmakers in the GOP-led Congress are racing to pass the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; in order to get it to President Donald Trump&#8217;s desk by his July 4 deadline — Friday. Can it be done? Yes, but the timeline is extremely tight.
The legislation, which spans more than 900 pages, aims to fulfill many of Trump&#8217;s spending and tax-cut goals for his second term. While it did narrowly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-one-big-beautiful-bill-in-massive-win-for-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pass</a> out of the House in late May, provisions in the bill have undergone a makeover, in part because the Senate parliamentarian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-furious-as-unelected-bureaucrat-yanks-conservative-elements-from-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that certain sections flagged by Democrats violated the Byrd Rule, which demands they stay focused on the budget.
Republican senators worked through the weekend to get the bill close to the finish line. They <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-clears-key-senate-hurdle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to begin consideration of the legislation before Democrats asked the clerks to read the entire package, which took roughly 16 hours. By Monday afternoon, senators were in the midst of a &#8220;vote-a-rama&#8221; for amendments that might last all day. A final vote could happen sometime before or after midnight.
With the expectation that the Senate manages to pass the bill — an outcome that would require only a simple majority because it is being considered through the budget reconciliation process that allows the upper chamber to bypass the filibuster — the House is gearing up to do its part.
House Rules Committee members were <a href="https://x.com/liz_elkind/status/1939680529017663563" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> advised to prepare for a noon meeting on Tuesday. If the panel is able to pass a rule for consideration of the bill, the full House will come into play. However, there will likely not be a quick final vote. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUAhVS_GsVs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week that he would honor the customary 72 hours to allow members three days to review the text of the legislation. He also <a href="https://x.com/meredithllee/status/1938613838582026495" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conceded</a> that it is &#8220;possible&#8221; the bill&#8217;s timeline may slide past July 4.
Ultimately, the process could come down to a Friday showdown on the House floor. The bill&#8217;s fate is unclear as negotiations were still underway as of press time. Any last-minute changes threaten to add more time as they would need to be approved by both chambers of Congress.
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114770861740243689" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sounded</a> optimistic overnight, saying in a post on Truth Social, &#8220;ONE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, is moving along nicely! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221;

Speaker Mike Johnson

Down To The Wire: Can Congress Meet Trump’s July 4 Deadline For The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill?’

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is not giving up on Elon Musk, saying he texted the tech billionaire who was feuding with President Donald Trump on Thursday &#8220;a lot of information&#8221; about the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; that led to the dispute.
Holding what he said was his chief of staff&#8217;s baby, Johnson told reporters in the U.S. Capitol that Musk &#8220;is a friend,&#8221; indicating there remains hope for a resolution to the conflict, and said he had been trying, unsuccessfully, to get on the phone with Musk.
&#8220;I sent him a lot of information via text, hoping he reads it and considers it,&#8221; Johnson added. &#8220;And this isn&#8217;t personal. Policy differences should not be personal.&#8221;
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Mike Johnson tells us: “Elon said I’ve changed? No, I’m the same guy who has always been a deficit hawk.”
Also downplays Musk’s attacks against bill and pushes back on Musk saying that Rs held House because of him. “If there’s one person (deserves credit), it’s Donald J. Trump.” <a href="https://t.co/CXIedngRey">pic.twitter.com/CXIedngRey</a>
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1930729830795858288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Last week, Musk began to criticize the bill as he wrapped up a stint as a special government employee helping to oversee Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort last week, and the conflict came to a boiling point on Thursday when Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-very-disappointed-with-elon-musk-fires-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> that he was &#8220;very disappointed&#8221; with Musk.
In a series of posts to X, Musk fired back at Trump and also highlighted old comments from Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) in which they railed against the growing national debt — a central focus for Musk as he critiques how the bill is expected to impact the U.S. deficit.
&#8220;I super agree with this guy,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930694901857153479" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in one post, pointing to a 2018 tweet from Johnson saying, &#8220;At some point, Congress has to stop this endless cycle of out-of-control deficit spending.&#8221; To a March 2023 post from Johnson warning about a federal debt topping $31.4 trillion (it is now approaching $37 trillion), Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930691406533972391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a>, &#8220;Where is the Mike Johnson of 2023?&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Johnson <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1930712689560506659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot back</a> in a post that said, &#8220;The Mike Johnson of 2023 is the SAME Mike Johnson who has always been a lifelong fiscal hawk &#8211; who now serves as Speaker and is implementing a multi-stage plan to get our country back to fiscal responsibility and extraordinary economic growth.&#8221;
He continued, &#8220;It begins with the critically important One Big Beautiful Bill that includes the LARGEST mandatory spending cut to the federal government in history (by almost 400%), the LARGEST tax cut in history, the LARGEST investment in border security in a GENERATION, along with arguably the STRONGEST collection of pro-growth provisions EVER passed. The same CONSISTENT Mike Johnson who has ALWAYS supported the America First Agenda.&#8221;
X, which is owned by Musk, applied a Community Note to Johnson&#8217;s response, <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1930712689560506659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, &#8220;Multiple non-partisan groups have put out reports showing the reconciliation package will add over $2T in debt and potentially over $3T when you add increased debt payments.&#8221;

Speaker Johnson Reveals How He’s Trying To Win Back ‘Friend’ Elon After Bill Blowup

On Thursday, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-very-disappointed-with-elon-musk-fires-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">railed</a> against Elon Musk over the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” pinning the tech billionaire&#8217;s opposition to its plan to phase out federal electric vehicle tax credits. But is it really to blame?
Musk, whose Tesla company sells electric vehicles, “only developed the problem [with the bill] when he found out we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate because that&#8217;s billions and billions of dollars,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/theblaze/status/1930659597905170561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters at the White House.
&#8220;And it really is unfair,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We want to have cars of all types — electric — we want to have electric, but we want to have gasoline combustion. We want to have different — we want to have hybrids. &#8230; We want to be able to sell everything.&#8221;
The bill accelerates the phase-out of the $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric vehicles from December 31, 2032, to the end of this year. It also outlines terms for a one-year reprieve, but Tesla has already surpassed the 200,000 sales cap to qualify.
In response to Trump, Musk declared that he does not care whether the bill retains cuts for credits on electric vehicles — as well as solar, which is expected to impact the Tesla Energy division with its solar panels and battery storage products.
&#8220;Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil &amp; gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930660788739698878" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X.
He added, &#8220;In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way.&#8221;
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Musk also <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930680655173882078" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tagged</a> the president in another post, asking if he remembered their joint appearance outside the White House in March, when Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc-p9zG00G8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> Musk for not complaining that he &#8220;ended&#8221; the EV mandate.
In a post from &#8220;Tesla Owners Silicon Valley,&#8221; Musk is seen in an old video <a href="https://x.com/teslaownersSV/status/1930683013257634170" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> claiming the tax credits actually pose a &#8220;competitive disadvantage&#8221; for Tesla in comparison to companies that might sell EVs for a much lower price.
Last week, as Musk was ending his time helping to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, he started to harshly criticize the legislation — focusing on how it is estimated to inflate the national debt, not the EV credits.
Despite the attack on the bill, Musk appeared with Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, getting a warm send-off after completing his stint as a special government employee. &#8220;Elon&#8217;s really not leaving,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/DailyMail/status/1928568349606215888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to be back and forth, I think.&#8221;

Trump and Elon

Everything You Need To Know About Trump’s Clash With Elon Over EV Credits

Electric cars

Executive

Tesla

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump is not pleased with how Elon Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-cant-stand-it-anymore-goes-nuclear-on-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed</a> the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0epEIXjmOA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a>, Johnson told reporters that he &#8220;obviously&#8221; spoke to the president about Musk&#8217;s diatribe on Tuesday against the massive package that contains many provisions in line with Trump’s second-term agenda.
&#8220;As you know, he&#8217;s not delighted that Elon did a 180 on that,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know what happened in 24 hours. Everybody can draw their own conclusions about that, okay? But I look forward to talking to my friend about it again.&#8221;
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🚨 MIKE JOHNSON: President Trump is not delighted that Elon did a &#8220;180&#8221; on the Big Beautiful Bill.<a href="https://t.co/eIdD9liXfh">pic.twitter.com/eIdD9liXfh</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1930278762760876372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The speaker noted that he defended the bill and the plan moving forward in a talk with Musk on Monday. He claimed Musk was &#8220;encouraged&#8221; by the conversation and pledged to help House Republicans keep their majority in the midterm elections.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> on Elon Musk: &#8220;Elon and I left on a great note. We were texting one another you know, happy texts, you know Monday. And then, yesterday, 24 hours later, he does a 180 and comes out and opposes the bill. It surprised me, frankly, and I don&#8217;t take it personally.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/0lcdK3ahiC">pic.twitter.com/0lcdK3ahiC</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1930285420199166317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Johnson also said he called Musk on Tuesday night, but did not get an answer.
&#8220;I hope to talk to him today,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;It&#8217;s very friendly. And we can — and we&#8217;ve laughed about our differences on policy before. I&#8217;m not upset about this.&#8221;
Although Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blasts-rand-paul-opposition-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chided</a> GOP lawmakers who have taken a stand against the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; he has not publicly commented on Musk roughly 24 hours after the tech billionaire harshly criticized the measure and the House Republicans who voted to pass it.
&#8220;I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1929954109689606359?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X. &#8220;This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.&#8221;
Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1929955052527202503" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> in another post, &#8220;It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America (sic) citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.&#8221; He also <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1929984535456035202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.&#8221;
Johnson said Musk was &#8220;flat wrong.&#8221; He insisted that &#8220;every single American is going to do better&#8221; once the bill is enacted into law and predicted House Republicans will grow their majority &#8220;because we&#8217;re delivering for the American people and fulfilling our campaign promises.&#8221;
Not passing the legislation would be treacherous, the speaker warned, because retaining the 2017 tax cuts is part of it as well as raising the debt limit to steer clear of a default.
&#8220;All the things that are in this bill are so important for the U.S. economy. It&#8217;s going to be jet fuel for the U.S. economy. All boats are going to rise,&#8221; Johnson said.
The speaker pushed the idea that the bill will implement a historic $1.6 trillion in savings. Johnson also said he told Musk that Republicans have a &#8220;very specific plan&#8221; to end &#8220;wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse&#8221; beyond the one measure.
On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shrugged off the critique when a reporter <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1929956609486401844" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> how &#8220;mad&#8221; Trump would be when he finds out what Musk said about the bill.
&#8220;Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn&#8217;t change the president&#8217;s opinion. This is &#8216;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8217; and he&#8217;s sticking to it,&#8221; Leavitt said.
Some Republicans who oppose the legislation in its current form have touted Musk&#8217;s commentary.
&#8220;I agree with Elon. We have both seen the massive waste in government spending and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake. We can and must do better,&#8221; Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) <a href="https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1929958105221132580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X.
On the Democrat side, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/RepJeffries/status/1929965141174481053" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;The GOP Tax Scam is a disgusting abomination. Truer words have never been spoken.&#8221;
In the days leading up to his explosive comments on X, Musk had already begun to express his dismay with the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; which is now being considered by the Republican-controlled Senate.
&#8220;I was like — disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decrease it. And it undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,&#8221; Musk told &#8220;CBS Sunday Morning&#8221; in an <a href="https://x.com/CBSSunday/status/1927535075144421527" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> clip published in the middle of last week.
Musk also said that when the bill came along, he thought &#8220;everything&#8221; accomplished by DOGE would get &#8220;wiped out&#8221; in the first year. He also said, &#8220;I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.&#8221;
Despite the attack on the bill, Musk appeared with Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, getting a warm send-off after completing his stint as a special government employee, overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort.
&#8220;Elon&#8217;s really not leaving,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/DailyMail/status/1928568349606215888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to be back and forth, I think.&#8221;
On Wednesday afternoon, after the initial publication of this story, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114626394056454893" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> on Truth Social a screenshot of an X post in which Musk expressed gratitude to the president and optimism for the future of DOGE.
&#8220;As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President [Trump] for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in the May 28 post. &#8220;The [DOGE] mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.&#8221;
In addition, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114626260163622304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> that he was in favor of scrapping the debt limit altogether, but did not mention Musk.
Meanwhile, Musk reacted to Johnson&#8217;s comments, <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930322148780101703" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declaring</a> on X, &#8220;We need a new bill that doesn’t grow the deficit.&#8221; He also <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930324930861904260" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;No one who actually reads the bill should be able to stomach it.&#8221;

President Trump Holds Press Conference With Elon Musk in White House’s Oval Office

Trump Is Pissed At Elon’s Attack On ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ Mike Johnson Says

President Donald Trump singled out Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) for criticism on Tuesday in a dispute over the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
The scolding took place on Truth Social shortly after Paul made an appearance on TV in which the senator said he would not support the legislation in its current form because it aims to raise the debt ceiling by several trillion dollars.
&#8220;Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting &#8216;NO&#8217; on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114619628833129608" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in one post.
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114619648032728687" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in another post, &#8220;Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!&#8221;
On CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Squawk Box,&#8221; Paul <a href="https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1929908175748088234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the &#8220;main thing&#8221; he objects to in the massive bill, which contains many provisions in line with Trump&#8217;s second-term agenda, is how it would raise the debt ceiling by another $4-5 trillion. As it stands, the national debt is approaching $37 trillion.
&#8220;That&#8217;s an indication that we&#8217;ll borrow that much. It&#8217;s an indication that we&#8217;ll put the debt on the back burner,&#8221; said Paul, who added that he did not join &#8220;most of the Republicans&#8221; who voted to &#8220;continue the Biden spending levels&#8221; with the six-month continuing resolution Congress passed in March.
Paul said he believes there are three or four Republicans in the Senate who might oppose the bill as it stands. That amount could be enough to stall the legislation&#8217;s progress, given the GOP has only a 53-45 <a href="https://www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority</a>.
&#8220;If there are four of us who want it to be more fiscally conservative, I think we can really reduce the spending levels and perhaps separate out the debt ceiling as well,&#8221; Paul said.
The senator also noted that he is &#8220;pretty much open to compromise on everything else in the bill,&#8221; specifically expressing support for how it seeks to retain the 2017 tax cuts.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also defended the legislation from Paul&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rand-paul-warns-big-beautiful-bill-explode-debt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">critique</a> on the debt ceiling in a recent &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; interview. He alluded to how the reconciliation process Republicans are using allows Congress to bypass the Senate&#8217;s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
&#8220;We have to do it,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-rebuts-rand-pauls-debt-warning-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to get any Democrats to assist on that. So, to get it through the Senate and make sure we don&#8217;t crash the U.S. economy and default on our debts for the first time in history, it has to be part of the reconciliation package.&#8221;

Senator Rand Paul

Trump Puts Rand Paul On Blast Over ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

Debt Ceiling

National Debt

Rand Paul

President Donald Trump&#8217;s budget chief delivered on Sunday a counterargument to Elon Musk&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-disappointed-by-one-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning</a> that the House-passed version of the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; would further expand the federal deficit.
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; anchor Dana Bash showed Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a clip of Musk telling &#8220;CBS Sunday Morning&#8221; in a recent <a href="https://x.com/CBSSunday/status/1927535075144421527" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> of his concern that the legislation will inflate the federal deficit that has already blown past $1 trillion in recent years. Musk also referred to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative that he oversaw for the past few months.
&#8220;I was like — disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decrease it. And it undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,&#8221; Musk said.
&#8220;I love Elon,&#8221; Vought responded. &#8220;This bill doesn&#8217;t increase the deficit or hurt the debt. In fact, it lowers it by $1.4 trillion. What some of the watchdogs have done is, they have used CBO&#8217;s artificial baseline, which doesn&#8217;t allow and assume that current tax law will be extended because of sunsets that are in the law.&#8221;
Vought added later, &#8220;When you assume the extension of the president&#8217;s tax relief from 2017, this budget or this bill, and it&#8217;s really a reconciliation bill — it&#8217;s not really a budget bill. It is using a budget process. This is a $1.4 trillion over 10 years deficit reduction. It&#8217;s $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings. Obviously, we have a little bit of spending in there as well for border and defense. But that is the biggest mandatory savings package that we have seen since 1997. It&#8217;s very historic.&#8221;
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The &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; which is moving through Congress through the reconciliation process that will allow the Senate to bypass the filibuster threshold, aims to advance Trump’s priorities on border security, energy, and national defense. It also seeks to retain tax cuts from 2017 that are set to expire at the end of this year, raise the debt limit by trillions of dollars, and much more.
Trump has <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1925548216243703820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the bill &#8220;arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History&#8221; of the United States, but has given his <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/05/26/make-changes-they-want-trump-gives-senate-go-ahead-take-red-pen-big-beautiful-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blessing</a> to GOP senators, some of whom have also raised <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-rebuts-rand-pauls-debt-warning-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">objections</a> to the bill in its current form, to &#8220;make the changes they want.&#8221;
Musk, who just ended his stint as a special government employee, also said in the CBS interview that when the bill came along, he thought &#8220;everything&#8221; accomplished by DOGE would get &#8220;wiped out&#8221; in the first year. He also said, &#8220;I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.&#8221;
Last week, Vought <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-budget-director-confirms-first-targets-for-clawing-back-spending" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the White House planned to send its first rescissions package of the year to Congress on Monday or Tuesday, aiming to claw back spending for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and NPR — programs that Republicans view as being wasteful and partisan. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has listed rescissions as being one of two actions the House will take based on findings from DOGE, in addition to using the appropriations process to “swiftly implement” Trump’s proposed 2026 budget.
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White House OMB Director Russ Vought

Trump’s Budget Chief Responds To Elon’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Critique

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Russ Vought

Elon Musk says he was &#8220;disappointed&#8221; by the version of President Donald Trump’s &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; that passed out of the GOP-led House last week.
The critique, in which Musk expressed concerns about the bill inflating the federal deficit that has blown past $1 trillion in recent years, was made during an <a href="https://x.com/CBSSunday/status/1927535075144421527" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> for &#8220;CBS Sunday Morning&#8221; set to air in full over the weekend as the Republican-controlled Senate considers the legislation.
&#8220;I was like — disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decrease it. And it undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,&#8221; Musk said.
At the start of his second term, Trump tasked Musk with overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, focused on removing waste, fraud, and abuse from the federal government.
While Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-significantly-cut-back-doge-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that he was &#8220;significantly&#8221; reducing the time he spends on DOGE to refocus on his companies, the initiative&#8217;s <a href="https://doge.gov/savings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> says “estimated savings” have reached $175 billion. Some Republican lawmakers have called on Congress to <a href="https://x.com/RepBrandonGill/status/1927515401371472120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">codify</a> the &#8220;DOGE cuts.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don&#8217;t know if it could be both.&#8221;
Tech billionaire Elon Musk tells CBS Sunday Morning&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/Pogue?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pogue</a> he was &#8220;disappointed&#8221; to see the Trump-backed &#8220;big beautiful&#8221; spending bill, which passed in the House last week.
Musk said… <a href="https://t.co/LUcuTaNYrs">pic.twitter.com/LUcuTaNYrs</a>
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSunday/status/1927535075144421527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Also shown in the CBS clip was &#8220;Sunday Morning&#8221; correspondent David Pogue telling Musk that when the bill came along, he thought &#8220;everything&#8221; accomplished by DOGE would get &#8220;wiped out&#8221; in the first year. It then cut to Musk, who said, &#8220;I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.&#8221;
The &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; aims to advance Trump’s priorities on border security, energy, and national defense. It also seeks to retain tax cuts from 2017 that are set to expire at the end of this year, raise the debt limit by trillions of dollars, and much more.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
After the House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-one-big-beautiful-bill-in-massive-win-for-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the bill with a close 215-214 vote, Trump <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1925548216243703820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> it &#8220;arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!&#8221; He then gave his <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/05/26/make-changes-they-want-trump-gives-senate-go-ahead-take-red-pen-big-beautiful-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blessing</a> to GOP senators, some of whom have also raised <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-rebuts-rand-pauls-debt-warning-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">objections</a> to the bill in its current form, to &#8220;make the changes they want.&#8221;
Trump’s budget chief, Russell Vought, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-budget-chief-responds-fiscal-hawk-heartburn-over-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro the legislation offers the “most historic level of mandatory savings that we’ve had, ever — $1.6 trillion” by reining in spending programs while fostering economic growth.
Musk and Trump have been close allies since the 2024 general election cycle. While they have generally been very complementary of each other, Musk did take an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-takes-apparent-stance-against-trump-tariffs-quotes-famed-economist-on-merits-of-free-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apparent stance</a> against Trump&#8217;s strategy with tariffs. However, that did not create a visible rift.
In a cabinet meeting late last month, Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-salutes-trumps-first-100-days-could-be-the-greatest-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> that a “tremendous amount” had been accomplished during Trump&#8217;s first 100 days back in office. Trump told Musk, &#8220;You’re invited to stay as long as you want.&#8221; And, in fact, Musk has been seen back in the White House since rededicating himself to Tesla and his other companies.

Elon Says He Was ‘Disappointed’ By ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’

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