Republicans in the US House of Representatives have narrowly passed a sprawling government spending bill, a major boost for President Donald Trump as it advances his 2025 agenda.
The 217-215 vote was seen as a key early test for Republican House speaker Mike Johnson, who cancelled an earlier vote on the bill as it appeared he did not have enough support.
Several Republicans wanted more fiscal discipline from a budget that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, funded partially by spending cuts but also by potentially increasing the US government’s substantial debt pile.
But the bill eventually passed along party lines, with all Democrats voting against and just one Republican – Thomas Massey of Kentucky – opposing it.
However there are still a number of steps the spending plan must go through in order to become law.
The budget will have to be merged with a separate budget which is under consideration by the US Senate, in a process called reconciliation.
And even if both chambers agree on a spending plan, many finer details will need to be negotiated before it can be signed by President Trump.
House Republican leaders initially delayed Tuesday’s vote when it was unclear whether they would have enough support to pass the measure, then later recalled representatives.
US media reported that Trump personally called some of the holdouts to encourage them to pass the bill.
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