“This bill isn’t perfect, but it’s the best we’ll get and includes major wins,” said U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy.
It was a big switch for Davidson, who had initially opposed the GOP reconciliation bill back in May. The Miami Valley Republican was also very critical of the changes made by Senate Republicans in recent days, arguing for more spending cuts and deficit reduction.
“I opposed the House version because I thought we could get a better deal,” Davidson said Wednesday. “It’s clear this is the best deal on the table.”
While Davidson flipped in favor of the plan Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, had kept his decision close to his vest.
“I’m not saying,” Turner said when asked how he would vote. The Dayton Republican ultimately joined with Davidson and other GOP lawmakers in backing what Trump likes to call his “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Columbus (whose district includes parts of Clark and Miami counties), posted on X: “This bill was the product of negotiations from Republicans across the House and Senate to enact President Trump’s central promises.”
“While there is still work to be done for central Ohio, I was proud to support this legislation and avoid the largest tax increase on working families in American history,” Carey added.
The centerpiece of the GOP plan makes permanent the Trump income tax cuts from 2017, which are scheduled to expire at the end of this year.
The bill also includes Trump’s call for “No tax on tips” and “No tax on overtime.”
The tips deduction is capped at $25,000 per year. The overtime pay deduction is limited to $12,500 per year. Both benefits begin phasing out at an income level of $150,000 for an individual and $300,000 for a married couple.
The bill also includes $150 billion in extra money for the Pentagon, and $175 billion to bolster border security and immigration enforcement.
It also includes a provision increasing the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion.
While Republicans roundly supported those plans, early on Thursday morning in the House it didn’t look like GOP lawmakers would be celebrating a victory.
Angered by changes made to the bill in the Senate earlier in the week, a dozen GOP lawmakers had refused to vote to advance the measure, leaving the bill in limbo on the House floor.
“I’m going home,” Davidson told reporters, as he left the Capitol just before midnight with the vote still open.
But after more talks between Republican holdouts and House Speaker Mike Johnson, the dam finally broke around 3:20 am, as a dozen GOP lawmakers came to the House floor to throw their support behind the GOP measure.
Democrats were despondent.
“This is a terrible bill,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Cincinnati (whose district includes Warren County), as Democrats argued as many as 17 million Americans would lose their health coverage, while others would be denied federal food aid.
“Hospitals will close,” Landsman warned just before the House vote. “It’s not hyperbole.”
“Trump’s Big Ugly Bill will harm millions,” said U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Cleveland, who called it “an insult to the American people.”
“Congress can create a brighter future for America by defeating this bloated bill,” U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo argued on the House floor around 4 am.
But as in the Senate, Democrats were short on votes.
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