'Big Beautiful Bill' Passed By House: What It Means In VA

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as the "Big Beautiful Bill" presented by President Donald Trump's administration for approval, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 218-214 on Thursday with two Republican dissenters.

The bill now goes to the desk of President Trump to be signed into law after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made history with the longest speech ever on the floor, more than eight and a half hours, delaying the vote.

The bill, filled with cuts to taxes and also programs like Medicaid, is set to save Virginia families in a median-income home with two kids an average of between $8,600 and $14,800 in take-home pay, according to the White House.

Passing the bill also hands Virginia an increase of 3 percent when it comes to the number of people who would be without health insurance across the state, according to the independent source for health policy research, KFF. This number equates to an additional 160,000 people losing coverage. Of these, 210,000 dropped coverages would be due to the changes in Medicaid, and another 46,000 would be as a result of changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Nationwide, it is estimated that 10 million people will lose health insurance.

Shortly after the vote, U.S. Rep. John McGuire, a Republican from Virginia, called the bill "promises made, promises kept."

"The One Big Beautiful Bill truly invests in American workers, businesses and families," McGuire said. "Thanks to President Trump for putting America first."

Meanwhile, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) released a statement saying the bill will "harm America’s working families, bestow tax breaks on the wealthy, and significantly increase the national debt."

Other reaction from Virginia lawmakers included:

U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) said, "Today, I voted in favor of H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill. As with every bill, I weighed the pros and the cons. The positives of the bill clearly outweigh the negatives."

How Thursday Played Out

House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, spoke out against Trump's bill on the House floor for more than eight and a half hours beginning early Wednesday morning, calling it an "all-out assault" on ordinary Americans.

"I feel the obligation, Mr. Speaker, to stand on this House floor and take my sweet time to tell the stories of the American people and that's exactly what I intend to do," Jeffries added. "Take my sweet time on behalf of the American people."

The "One, Big, Beautiful Bill," is a tax, spending and policy megabill. One of its largest impacts would be extending the 2017 tax cuts from Trump's first term, which are set to expire after December.The more than 1,000-page bill also includes many of Trump's 2024 campaign promises, including no tax on tips and overtime wages.

Around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced he had secured enough votes to move the bill along in a sign it should pass later in the day.

The Bill

The 1,200‑page package includes:

• A permanent extension to the 2017 Trump tax cuts, while exempting overtime pay, tips and some Social Security income from taxation.
• 80‑hour‑per‑month work requirements on many adults receiving Medicaid and enforce existing SNAP work rules to additional beneficiaries.
• Repealing most clean‑energy tax credits created under the previous administration.
• Approval for a $40 billion border security surge and funding for a nationwide deportation effort.
• Raising the federal debt ceiling by $5 trillion.

Tax Cuts

The bill contains an estimated $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.

• The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent.
• Temporary new tax breaks that Trump campaigned on: no taxes on tips, overtime pay, the ability to deduct interest payments for some automotive loans, along with a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year.
• $2,000 child tax credit is raised to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels, however, would not get the full credit.
• State and local deductions caps, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years.
• Certain businesses will be able to immediately write off 100% of the cost of equipment and research.
• Wealthy households would see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, also costing the poorest people $1,600 a year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House’s version.
• Middle-income citizens would see a break of $500 to $1,500, the CBO said.

Border Security

More than $140 billion toward efforts to crack down on illegal immigration:

• $50 billion for the border wall
• $45 billion for detention centers
• $8 billion towards compensating immigration officers
• $14 billion towards the costs of deportations

Medicaid

• A budget that would cap how much states can collect in hospital assessment fees used to draw federal Medicaid matches, significantly reducing Medicaid spending to help pay for an extension of expiring tax cuts.
  • Medicaid is the primary program providing comprehensive health and long-term care to one in five people in the United States and accounts for nearly $1 out of every $5 spent on health care. It is administered by states within broad federal rules and jointly funded by states and the federal government. Restrictions in federal spending could leave states with tough choices about how to offset reductions.
• A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services in speaking to Newsweek: "Over the last decade, CMS has reported over $500 billion in improper Medicaid payments. Just last year, $56 billion went to able-bodied adults misusing the system, and more than one million illegal immigrants are now receiving taxpayer-funded health care...The [One Big Beautiful Bill] addresses this directly: it removes illegal immigrants from eligibility, implements work requirements for able-bodied adults, and safeguards Medicaid for the vulnerable populations it was created to serve—pregnant women, children, low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and struggling families."

More On Changes To Healthcare Coverage

National Debt

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill would increase the U.S. deficit by $2.4 trillion through 2034 if passed. The Senate's version of the bill also raises the U.S. debt ceiling by $5 trillion, the largest increase in American history.

The Lead Up

On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie in the Senate to pass the bill after three Republicans had defected. An original version passed in the House by a narrow margin in May, where it was now being reconciled for final approval.

A handful of Republicans have joined Democrats in being vocal about their opposition of some of the issues over the last few months. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been critical of the bill because it includes a provision that would ban states from regulating artificial intelligence. On Steve Bannon's War Room podcast, she said that the fight to stop the bill's passage was "far from over" and said "there's no way" it would pass in the House.

She has since voted in favor of advancing the bill.

In the hours leading up to Thursday's House vote, President Trump relayed his thoughts on Truth Social, writing: "Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy. What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT'S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!"

The bill now awaits Trump's signature.