Megabill moments from passing after House pushes through drama-filled night

Speaker Mike Johnson expects to pass President Donald Trump's budget megabill by 8 a.m. Eastern Thursday after a massive, overnight session in the House moved it toward a final vote.

After a day and most of a night of standstill, haggling by Johnson appeared to break a holdout by some rogue Republicans.

An early morning vote came in at 219-213, suggesting most of the Republicans who had vowed to oppose the bill had joined their colleagues in backing it. Only Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), a moderate, voted with Democrats.

The night had started with four other Republicans voting against it and others declining to vote at all.

It followed a Wednesday packed with arm-twisting by Johnson and invites to the White House for some holdouts so that Trump could try to persuade them.

“What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove???” Trump wrote on Truth Social in the middle of the night.

“MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!”

The bill looks to slash taxes for wealthy Americans, spend more on the military and the border and make massive cuts to Medicaid.