Trump, who has already faced several votes with unpredictable outcomes this year, urged lawmakers to unite and support the bill.
“We don’t need entitled creatures in the Republican Party. STOP TALKING AND GET IT DONE!” he wrote on Truth Social.
The chances of the bill passing are not hopeless, but its failure could mark the first major legislative blow to the Trump administration this year.
Support for the bill among Republicans is divided. Some hardliners are demanding further cuts in government spending, while other Republicans express concern over reductions to programs like Medicaid, which their constituents rely on.
Five Republicans who voted against the measure during a procedural vote said they will continue to block it unless House Speaker Mike Johnson agrees to further cuts to Medicaid — the healthcare program for low-income Americans. They are also pushing for the bill to include a full repeal of green energy tax credits introduced by Democrats.
“This bill is deeply flawed,” said Texas Republican Chip Roy, who voted no. “It doesn’t address the deficit as we promised.”
The proposed bill continues tax breaks introduced during Trump’s first administration. While Trump has heavily promoted the repeal of the tip tax as a key benefit, critics argue that the legislation mostly benefits wealthy Americans.
Democrats, who largely oppose the bill, are calling for a review of the proposed Medicaid cuts and the reductions in spending from the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which provides subsidized insurance to millions of Americans.
“No previous bill, law, or event has caused this many Americans to lose healthcare. Not even the Great Depression had such an impact,” said Democrat Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania.
If passed, the total value of the tax breaks would amount to $3.72 trillion (or £2.8 trillion) over the next ten years, according to the bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation.