In partnership with

Inside the DC Boiler Room 
The "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB), a flagship of President Trump’s second-term agenda, is back in the House after passing the Senate 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. This bill, featuring tax cuts, bolstered border security, and Medicaid reforms, faces a rocky path in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing for passage by July 4, 2025. However, GOP infighting and a new amendment by Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles threaten its progress.

The Senate’s version, passed via reconciliation, diverges from the House’s May bill, which passed 215-214. Over 20 House Republicans, including Rep. Thomas Massie, oppose the Senate’s package, citing deficit concerns and provisions like the increased SALT (state and local tax) deduction cap, which Ogles criticizes for forcing Tennesseans to “subsidize state and local taxes for wealthy people in blue states”. With a slim majority, Johnson can lose only three GOP votes. The House Rules Committee is debating the bill’s path, but opposition from members like Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, who serve on the committee, dims prospects for quick approval.

Ogles, a staunch Trump ally, filed an amendment to revert to the House’s original bill, arguing the Senate’s version “guts key Trump provisions” at the behest of an “unelected parliamentarian”. He objects to Senate changes, including provisions he claims fund illegal immigrants’ healthcare and green energy projects, and the weakened Medicaid eligibility restrictions. Trump’s endorsement of Ogles’ amendment, coupled with his Capitol Hill lobbying, pressures GOP holdouts, but risks alienating moderates like Rep. Mike Lawler, who support the SALT cap increase. Ogles’ amendment, if adopted, could necessitate further Senate talks, jeopardizing the July 4 deadline.

Johnson remains optimistic, promoting the bill’s tax relief, energy dominance, and border security as deficit-reducing. Yet, House Freedom Caucus conservatives and moderates clash over Medicaid cuts and fiscal impacts. Public criticism, including Elon Musk’s denouncement of the bill as a “disgusting abomination,” adds tension. If the House passes the Senate’s version, it heads to Trump’s desk. However, Ogles’ amendment or other changes could force a conference committee, delaying passage and testing GOP unity.

I really wish we had a better way of getting smaller bills passed, why this crappy process has become the basis for every bill is mind-boggling and it pisses me off. There will be a day when AI creates a bill, and cuts out all the pork. Until then, us humans will continue to make it a mess.

Find out why 1M+ professionals read Superhuman AI daily.

In 2 years you will be working for AI

Or an AI will be working for you

Here's how you can future-proof yourself:

1. Join the Superhuman AI newsletter – read by 1M+ people at top companies

2. Master AI tools, tutorials, and news in just 3 minutes a day

3. Become 10X more productive using AI

Join 1,000,000+ pros at companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon that are using AI to get ahead.

Sign up and start learning AI