() The House Rules Committee convened at 1 a.m. EDT on Wednesday to discuss President Donald Trump’s budget package in the latest push to get his “big, beautiful bill” across the finish line.
Lawmakers continued their debate through the early morning. The committee is typically the last stop before a full House vote.
On Tuesday, Trump visited and addressed Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, in hopes of swaying holdouts who have raised concerns over the bill’s funding allocation.
Trump and his team have called the legislation a once-in-a-generation opportunity. It would make tax cuts passed in 2017 permanent, while providing billions of dollars for defense and border security.
It would also raise the debt ceiling by nearly $4 trillion, with roughly $1.5 trillion in spending cuts and more restrictive Medicaid eligibility requirements. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Medicaid changes could lead to nearly 8 million people losing coverage.
During Trump’s Capitol Hill visit Tuesday, he said only fraud, waste and abuse would be cut from Medicaid.
While some hardline Republicans want more spending cuts, those from blue-leaning states want to see bigger local and state tax deductions.
Democrats have openly opposed the proposal, criticizing Trump’s plan and its unusual late-night advancement through the House Budget Committee.
“They literally are trying to take health care away from millions of Americans at this very moment in the dead of night,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
What happens next for Trump’s tax cut bill?
If the tax cut bill moves to the House floor, it could see a vote as soon as Wednesday or Thursday.
If it passes in the House, the legislation would then move to the Senate, where it faces questions from some Republicans, particularly over spending cuts, according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
House Republicans hope to send the bill to the Senate ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Anna Kutz contributed to this report.
