President Donald Trump’s flagship tax-cut and spending bill hit fresh hurdles in the House of Representatives late Wednesday, despite an intense, hours-long campaign by the White House and GOP leadership to rally support among skeptical Republicans.

Dubbed One Big Beautiful Bill by the President, the legislation narrowly passed a crucial procedural vote along party lines, 220-212, but then faltered when Republicans failed to secure enough votes for a second key motion. Five GOP defectors, aligned with the party’s fiscally conservative wing, voted against moving the bill forward, putting its future in jeopardy.

Lawmakers had kept the first vote open for more than seven hours while Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson worked behind the scenes to convince holdouts. Despite the delay, the second measure failed—delivering a blow to the administration’s efforts to push the bill to the floor for final passage before the July 4 holiday.

Trump, increasingly frustrated, lashed out just after midnight on Truth Social, writing:

“Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy. What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES.”

The bill, which narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday after heated debate, has drawn widespread criticism for its projected cost and cuts to key social programs. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates it will add $3.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. It includes $900 million in cuts to Medicaid, a $5 trillion debt ceiling increase, and a rollback of green energy initiatives.

Democrats remain united in opposition. “This bill is catastrophic. It is not policy, it is punishment,” said Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) during debate.

While Speaker Johnson commands a slim 220-212 majority, he can afford only three defections. Members of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, led by Representative Andy Harris (R-MD), have threatened to sink the bill over its cost and structure.

“He knows I’m a ‘no,’” Harris told reporters. “He knows that I don’t believe there are the votes to pass this rule the way it is.”

Republican Whip Tom Emmer expressed optimism earlier in the evening, saying, “There’s going to be a vote tonight… then we’ll do the debate. We’ll vote on the bill.”

The measure contains many of Trump’s top domestic priorities, including extensions to the 2017 tax cuts, increased immigration enforcement, and sharp reductions in social safety net spending. It also includes a provision to raise the debt ceiling amid growing concern about potential default risks.

Facing a self-imposed July 4 deadline, Trump met with dissenting Republicans at the White House in a bid to shore up support. Yet even within his own party, some lawmakers voiced unease about the impact of Medicaid cuts and the bill’s overall price tag.

Democrats have blasted the bill as benefiting the wealthy at the expense of ordinary Americans. According to the CBO, nearly 12 million people could lose health insurance under the legislation’s Medicaid changes.

With the House deadlocked and any amendments requiring another Senate vote, meeting the Independence Day target appears increasingly unlikely.

For now, Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill remains stuck—straining GOP unity, testing Trump’s political capital, and leaving the fate of sweeping tax and spending reforms uncertain.

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