Posted on 05/16/25
| News Source: The Hill
Fiscal hawks on the House Budget Committee on Friday sunk a key vote on advancing the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that encompasses President Trump’s legislative agenda, marking a stunning setback for the legislation.
The 16-21 vote throws up a hurdle for leaders hoping to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day — but are still haggling over last minute changes to appease not only the fiscal hawks but moderates seeking bigger blue-state tax breaks.
Five Republicans voted no: Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.). Republicans could only afford to lose two of their members and still advance the legislation. Smucker changed his vote from yes to no in a procedural move.
“To be clear—I fully support the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). My vote today in the Budget Committee is a procedural requirement to preserve the committee’s opportunity to reconsider the motion to advance OBBB,” Smucker wrote on X.
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) called the committee into recess after the vote. Rep. Glenn Grothmann (R-Wis.) said members were told they could go home.
Negotiations took place during the committee markup in a neighboring room with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), but leaders apparently did not make enough progress to sway the holdouts.
“This bill falls profoundly short. It does not do what we say it does with respect to deficits,” Rep Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of those holdouts, said during the markup.