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In a blow to Speaker Mike Johnson and President Donald Trump, the Republican-led House Budget Committee on Friday rejected a sweeping multitrillion-dollar spending package central to Trump’s economic agenda. The 16-21 vote exposed deep divisions within the GOP and throws into doubt the party’s ability to advance the bill before Memorial Day, Johnson’s self-imposed deadline.
The measure was blocked by four conservative Republicans — Reps. Chip Roy (TX), Ralph Norman (SC), Andrew Clyde (GA), and Josh Brecheen (OK) — who joined all Democrats in voting no. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA) changed his vote from yes to no, a procedural move that allows the bill to be reconsidered.
The failed vote reflects rising tensions within Republican ranks, particularly between deficit hawks and party leaders aligned with Trump’s expansive fiscal vision.
“This bill falls profoundly short,” said Rep. Chip Roy. “Deficits will go up in the first half of the 10-year budget window, and we all know it’s true… I am a no on this bill unless serious reforms are made.”
Roy criticized the proposal for front-loading spending while back-loading savings, a point echoed by other Freedom Caucus members pushing for more aggressive fiscal restraint.
The committee chair, Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), adjourned the hearing after the vote and said negotiations would continue through the weekend, with hopes of reviving the package by Monday.
“It’s like the last day of third grade. We get to go home,” quipped Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), though he predicted the bill will eventually pass. “It has to.”
The bill’s collapse came just hours after Trump blasted Republican “grandstanders” on Truth Social, urging unity behind his “one, big beautiful bill.”
“STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!” Trump wrote, calling on GOP lawmakers to fall in line.
Despite Trump’s pressure, key conservative holdouts have demanded deeper spending cuts and structural reforms before supporting the bill. Meanwhile, blue-state Republicans are pushing for a higher SALT cap — the deduction for state and local taxes — which remains a major sticking point.
A post from the House Freedom Caucus on X confirmed that hardliners like Roy and Norman are continuing negotiations and “working in good faith” to improve the package.
“We are not going anywhere,” the post read. “We will continue to work through the weekend.”
Democrats, unified in opposition, labeled the bill a giveaway to the wealthy. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), ranking member on the committee, said the GOP was too divided to lead.
“There is a strong divide between Republicans and some other Republicans,” Boyle said. “Every Democratic member will be voting no on the bill for billionaires.”
The setback raises serious questions about Johnson’s ability to govern a deeply fractured Republican majority. Even if the package clears committee next week, it faces a difficult path on the House floor and an uncertain fate in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
