In a move that surprised political observers and defied widespread media predictions, the House of Representatives passed the “Big Beautiful Bill” on Thursday, sending it to President Donald Trump just ahead of his self-imposed July 4 deadline, as the Daily Caller reports.

The last-minute passage followed the House’s acceptance of the Senate version of the bill without further amendment, avoiding renegotiation and delivering a legislative win for Trump before Independence Day.

On Tuesday, the Senate approved its version of the bill, commonly referred to as the BBB. Most analysts projected that the House would introduce changes, leading to a lengthier reconciliation process. However, GOP leadership chose to take the Senate bill straight to a final vote in the House.

House narrowly approves bill

The final House vote came in at 218–214, with just two Republican lawmakers -- Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania -- joining all Democrats in opposition.

Despite concerns within the Republican caucus, party leaders managed to secure the necessary votes.

Speaker Mike Johnson played a central role in the effort, coordinating with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and President Trump to secure support from reluctant members. The move to forgo changes to the Senate version simplified the legislative path.

Public expectations painted a more chaotic picture. As late as the beginning of the week, media outlets warned that the legislative process could easily become bogged down by intra-party disagreements and procedural hurdles.

Trump’s timeline shapes legislative focus

President Trump’s desire to have the bill finalized by Independence Day became a motivating force for party leadership.

Reports from outlets like Politico acknowledged the deadline but cast doubt on whether it could realistically be achieved.

Axios noted the improbability of the House accepting the Senate's bill “wholesale” and skipping the traditional amendment process. That outcome, once considered unlikely, came to pass within just two days of the Senate vote.

Behind the scenes, Trump worked to consolidate party support. His role was described by some as “omnipresent,” applying pressure to factions of the Republican Party that had initially expressed reservations about the package.

Democrat objections fall flat

On the House floor, Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered an eight-hour speech criticizing the bill. While it demonstrated opposition, the effort failed to delay the vote or alter its outcome.

Earlier in the week, the Washington Post warned that the House phase would not be quick or smooth, citing recent instances where Speaker Johnson’s agenda had stalled due to party infighting. Those concerns ultimately did not play out.

Republican hardliners, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, were among those eventually persuaded to support the legislation. Their backing proved crucial to reaching the vote threshold.

Legislative win bolsters GOP unity

Sources such as Politico had described the bill as being “in tatters” during the final week of June.

Nonetheless, the House GOP demonstrated significant unity in passing it without modification.

Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to skip renegotiations and proceed with the Senate-approved text enabled the party to keep momentum. The move helped avoid procedural delays that often follow amendments in the House.

With final passage complete, the bill was signed by Trump on Independence Day. Securing this outcome by July 4 marked a symbolic and strategic achievement for Republican leadership heading into the next legislative phase.