A vote on the megabill aimed at advancing the agenda of President Donald Trump failed in the budget committee of the Chamber Friday afternoon in the midst of the Hard-Liners objections, which stopped the progress of the bill to the Committee.
Republican representatives Andrew Clyde, Josh Brecheen, Lloyd Smucker, Ralph Norman and Chip Roy have all voted against cleaning the bill outside the committee – defying Trump and President Mike Johnson. The group complained, in part, that most of the savings in the legislation will only take effect after Trump has left his functions.
The committee’s vote failed with only 16 legislators in favor and 21 voters against.
This decision is a setback for Johnson and Trump, who previously called for retained to put himself online and to unite behind the bill – with Trump saying in an article on social networks that “we do not need” swamps “in the republican party”.
Norman said that he wanted leadership commitments on the changes to the work requirements of Medicaid, which will only take effect in 2029 and imposes more frequent eligibility checks for beneficiaries.
“I am tired of smoke and mirrors,” Norman said on Friday. “It is not a platform. I don’t need a forum.”
The member of the Southern Carolina Congress, Ralph Norman, speaks to the media during the markup of the budget committee of the Chamber of the Bill of Reconciliation at the American Capitol in Washington, on May 16, 2025.
Will Oliver / Epa-Efe / Shutterstock
The test was another test of Johnson’s pride while working to appease the Hard-Liners and unify the factions of his conference.
The Republican leaders of the Chamber will now continue to negotiate with the seated in camera, and the budget committee will meet on Sunday evening at 10 p.m., when the delay is not ideal, there is always a chance that the bill can empty the house before the recreation of the Memorial Day.
President Mike Johnson speaks to journalists as he leaves the house of the house at the American Capitol on May 15, 2025 in Washington.
Images Kevin Dietsch / Getty
House Freedom Caucus said it was ready to continue negotiations during the weekend after several of them prevented the megabill of more than 1,000 pages from progressing.
“We are not going anywhere and we will continue to work during the weekend”, Group published on X.
The White House press secretary echoes Trump’s message that the Republicans “must unite behind one, a large and beautiful bill to reduce taxes and permanently secure the border.”
“The White House will continue to have conversations during the weekend strongly urging the members of the Chamber to seize the generation opportunity before them and to vote yes on this historic legislation to repair the disorder created by Joe Biden. Posted on X Friday afternoon.
Questioned by ABC News Capitol Hill, the correspondent Jay O’Brien, if he feared that five Republicans vote against the tax and budgetary measure even if Trump ordered them to get on board, the representative Smucker – who voted no – declared that it was “part of the process”.
“I mean, this happens in several bills. It was … arrived at the last cycle of Democrats – it took a while to make their agenda,” said Smucker. “We are a diversified conference and with a very tight margin, and it takes a while to work, and it was a very aggressive chronology … that the speaker had proposed, and I think we will always meet him.”
The president of representative Jodey Arrington, expresses himself with the representative Ralph Norman during the increase in the budget committee of the Chamber of the Bill of Reconciliation, on May 16, 2025.
Bill Clark / CQ-Roll call via Getty Images
The Republicans have agonized this legislation for months, and to fail is an “embarrassment” for the selected, said Republican representative Tom McClintock.
“It is an embarrassment for people responsible for these votes, that’s for sure … This is a question that they will have to discuss with their voters this weekend and I hope they will feel the heat and will see the light,” he said.
The president of the budget committee, Jody Arrington, insisted that the failure of Friday was always a “good first step” because she forced the members to take a stand. Arrington told journalists that he didn’t think Trump needed to start personally restored.
The president was categorical about what this bill can still go through the objective of Johnson of the Memorial Day.
“”[Trump] wants this to be done, and it wants it to have done the earliest and most practical, and the commitment was commemorative – by Memorial Day, and we were in pace, or in advance on the calendar, to achieve it, “said Arrington.
But time is exhausted.
Even if the bill ends up leaving the committee, Johnson still does not have the votes to adopt it on the ground next week. Hard-liners still want changes to Medicaid and other spending measures, even with this vote expected in a few days.
Before the failed vote, the head of the majority, Steve Scalie, explained that the bill of the bill allows the administration to “create a process to implement” some of the bills.
“We have a fairly clear idea of what the final pieces are, and we are working at the moment,” said scalizes. “We all agree on the reforms we want to make. We want to have work requirements. We want to eliminate many of these green subsidies. You know, how much can you do it? And it is not as quickly as saying that you deactivate it tomorrow.”
The head of the majority of the room, Steve Scalie, speaks at a press conference with other members of the Républicaine management of the Chamber in Washington, on May 14, 2025.
Nathan Posner / Anadolu via Getty Images
Representative Marlin Stutzman, another republican of the budget committee, sympathized with the “fair” concerns of Norman concerning the delays in the implementation of Medicaid reforms, but he called the consensual product of 11 markings “a good start” and stressed that the Senate will have the opportunity to improve the bill.
“There are a lot of good parts in this legislation. You know, there are parts that feel like we are short. We could have made greater reforms, cut more expenses, but ultimately, this will increase the economy for the American people,” he said. “I think we are going to get there.”
“I think it is an important play to move forward as it is, because we have to put the economy on the right track,” added Stutzman.
