Daijiworld Media Network- Washington

Washington, May 15: In a significant move to push President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda, House Republicans on Wednesday forged ahead with sweeping legislation that proposes major tax cuts while slashing spending on Medicaid and food assistance programs, despite sharp criticism from Democrats and fissures within their own party.

The bill, dubbed by Trump as the “big beautiful bill,” advanced after marathon all-night and all-day drafting sessions. Key House committees gave their nod through party-line votes, setting the stage for a full House vote before the upcoming Memorial Day recess.

If passed, the legislation will extend Trump’s hallmark 2017 tax cuts and introduce fresh relief measures including tax exemptions on tips and overtime pay — key campaign promises. The plan’s estimated cost of $3.8 trillion is to be offset partly by cutbacks in Medicaid, food stamps, and clean energy subsidies, along with boosted military and immigration enforcement spending.

"The American people are counting on us to get this done and get it done quickly, and we are on target to do it," said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) at a Capitol Hill news conference.

However, the proposed bill is stirring unrest even within Republican ranks. Hardline conservatives argue that the Medicaid cuts fall short of expectations, criticizing the leadership for not pursuing deeper reforms.

Adding to the complexity, lawmakers from high-tax states like New York have voiced discontent over a contentious provision raising the cap on state and local tax deductions from $10,000 to $30,000 — a change they say still leaves their constituents shortchanged.

The bill’s journey is expected to be rockier in the Senate. Prominent GOP senators have already signaled resistance.

Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) and Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) slammed the bill as fiscally reckless. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) expressed concerns over Medicaid-related provisions. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) was more direct, denouncing the proposed changes to Medicaid as an assault on the working class.

“This is real Medicaid benefit cuts,” Hawley told CNN. “I can’t support that. No Republican should support that. We’re the party of the working class. We need to act like it.”

As the House prepares for a crucial vote, the bill’s future remains uncertain, with ideological divides threatening to delay or even derail one of the most ambitious policy pushes of the Trump administration’s second term.