House Speaker tries to reign in GOP rebels as Trump’s battle to pass Big Beautiful Bill hits crucial hurdle: Live updates

House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to reign in Republican rebels in an effort to pass President Donald Trump’s spending bill.

The House speaker and other GOP leaders are working to whip members to back a key procedural vote on the Big Beautiful Bill.

The goal is to get the bill to Trump’s desk by the July 4 holiday, but it still remains unclear whether House Republicans have enough support to get the bill passed.

It had squeaked through the Senate on Tuesday and some Republican House members now want to spend more time reviewing the Senate’s changes to the bill before they approve it.

Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus (HFC) have raised concerns that the Senate’s version of Trump’s flagship domestic policy agenda does not go far enough to the right’s desire to shrink government.

They have expressed doubts over the bill’s increased spending levels, provisions allowing government benefits for some illegal immigrants and funding for Biden-era renewable energy policies.

Rep. Andy Harris, chair of the HFC, told Politico he remained opposed to the legislation and said it was incumbent on Republican senators to come back to the negotiating table to finish the job.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has also firmly and consistently said he will vote against the bill.

If more than four Republicans vote against the measure, it will fail.

President Donald Trump had earlier expressed optimism about the bill getting passed in the House of Representatives.

In a post on his Truth Social page, the president said he ‘had GREAT conversations all day, and the Republican House Majority is UNITED, for the Good of our Country, delivering the Biggest Tax Cuts in History and MASSIVE Growth.

‘Let’s go Republicans, and everyone else – MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,’ he wrote.

Vice President JD Vance put pressure on Republican lawmakers Wednesday night saying the Big Beautiful Bill ‘must pass.’

‘The Big Beautiful Bill gives the president the resources and the power to undo the Biden border invasion,’ he wrote on X.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged Republicans to ‘get this done’ in a social media post outlining what the Big Beautiful Bill entails.

‘This wish list becomes REALITY when Republicans vote YES on the One Big Beautiful Bill,’ she said.

As Republicans work to whip up enough vots to pass the Big Beautiful Bill, President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social page to hit out at critic Rep. Jamie Raskin, whom he called a ‘third rate Democrat politician.’

Trump said Raskin, of Maryland, ‘has no idea what is in our fantastic Tax Cut Bill, nor would he understand it if he did.

‘This DOPE has been consistently losing to me for YEARS, and I love watching his ugly face as he is forced to consistently concede DEFEAT TO TRUMP — And tonight should be another of those nights. Raskin is a bad politician, and a TOTAL LOSER!’