Donald Trump’s all-in legislative push — the Big Beautiful Bill — is barreling toward a moment of truth. As I record this, there’s still no final manager’s amendment, and no one knows whether they’re going to vote tonight, tomorrow, or after the Memorial Day recess. Johnson is doing things differently. He doesn’t wait for airtight vote counts like Pelosi. He calls the vote, sees who gets sassy, then brings the pressure — including direct calls from Trump himself.
The SALT deduction cap has been raised in a big win for moderates. But the House Freedom Caucus is still holding out, demanding deeper Medicaid cuts and rollback of clean energy credits from the Inflation Reduction Act. In response, Trump met with them at the White House, delivering a single message: Vote for this bill or it’s the ultimate betrayal. The real question is whether the House Freedom Caucus still has the muscle to force changes, or if the pressure — and the clock — breaks them first.
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