President Trump’s massive tax and spending bill cleared a major procedural hurdle late Sunday as the House Budget Committee narrowly approved it—despite continued opposition from conservative Republicans demanding steeper budget cuts.
The bill, central to Trump’s economic agenda, faced unexpected turbulence last week when four Republican members of the committee sided with Democrats to block its advancement. Their objection? The bill didn’t go far enough in cutting the federal deficit.
But following an intense weekend of negotiations between the holdouts, House GOP leadership, and White House officials, the fiscal conservatives agreed to change their votes from “no” to “present.” That shift allowed the bill to pass the committee in a 17-16 vote, setting it up for a potential floor debate ahead of Memorial Day, as urged by House Speaker Mike Johnson. 
“Deliberations continue to this very moment,” said Rep. Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX), the committee chair. “They will continue on into the week and, I suspect, right up until the time we put this big, beautiful bill on the floor of the House.”
The four conservative Republicans—Reps. Chip Roy (TX), Josh Brecheen (OK), Ralph Norman (SC), and Andrew Clyde (GA)—secured behind-the-scenes concessions before flipping their votes. Though the exact changes remain unclear, Rep. Roy later revealed that negotiations led to agreements to accelerate new Medicaid work requirements and to further cut clean energy tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Still, Roy was blunt:
“The bill does not yet meet the moment.”
Conservatives Remain a Roadblock
Despite the committee win, trouble still looms. Two of the original holdouts, Roy and Norman, also sit on the powerful Rules Committee, which will determine how the bill is debated—and whether amendments are allowed—when it hits the House floor. They could stall or reshape the bill again at that stage.
Democrats Slam Lack of Transparency
Democrats on the Budget Committee expressed frustration over the evolving nature of the legislation, claiming they were left in the dark about last-minute changes.
“Making sure all the members know transparently just what the heck is in this thing,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), the committee’s ranking Democrat. “Because obviously it’s changing back in that back room by the minute.”
His comment referenced the closed-door negotiations Speaker Johnson held with GOP holdouts moments before the late-night session convened.
The bill will now proceed to the House Rules Committee, where the next round of high-stakes maneuvering is expected to play out in the coming days. Republicans remain under pressure to unite on a version of the bill that both satisfies the conservative base and has a path to pass the full House.
