In a major and arduous triumph for the president and his domestic agenda, the US Congress has approved Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending measure. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon by a vote of 218 to 214, following a taxing session on Capitol Hill. On Tuesday, the Senate passed it by a single vote.
Trump had given the Republican-controlled Congress until July 4th to provide a final draft of the measure to him so he could sign it into law. The White House disputes the Congressional Budget Office’s prediction that the plan could leave millions without health insurance and increase government deficits by $3.3 trillion (£2.4 trillion) over the next decade.
Trump said the law would “turn this country into a rocket ship” in an interview with reporters on Thursday night. “This bill is going to be fantastic for the nation,” he declared. At a ceremony on the national holiday of July 4th at 5:00 p.m. EDT (10:00 p.m. BST), he is expected to sign it into law.
He had to persuade some people, including Representative Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas who had firmly opposed the bill when it was passed by the Senate only days prior. “Travesty” is how he described the Senate version, but by the time voting started, he had changed his mind.
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