What to know today
- HOUSE PASSES MEGABILL: The House narrowly passed Republicans' massive tax and spending bill to advance President Donald Trump's agenda. The legislation now heads to Trump, who is expected to sign it tomorrow.
- GOP HOLDOUTS: Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., spent much of the last 24 hours meeting with and speaking to a group of Republican holdouts to try to win them over. The effort paid off as the bill passed 218-214, with just two GOP defections.
- JEFFRIES PUSHES BACK: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., spoke on the chamber floor against the bill for a record-breaking eight hours, 44 minutes, delaying the final vote.
- TRUMP SPEAKS WITH PUTIN: Trump said he "didn't make any progress" today on a potential Russia-Ukraine ceasefire during a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump says farmers will be 'in charge' and can 'vouch' for workers amid mass deportations
Trump said at the Iowa event tonight that he would make exceptions for farmers who "vouch" for undocumented immigrant farmworkers amid his administration's mass deportation efforts.
"We’re going to sort of put the farmers in charge," Trump said, adding that if a farmer is "willing to vouch for these people in some way," his administration is willing to give its approval.
"We’re going to be good with it," Trump said. "We don’t want to do it where we take all of the workers off the farms. We want the farms to do great, like they’re doing right now."
Trump has frequently disparaged undocumented immigrants as criminals who unfairly drain U.S. resources, but he offered a different assessment tonight, saying that some "work so hard, they bend over all day" for farmers and that "we don’t have too many people that can do that."
Trump said last month that his administration would exempt the agriculture and hotel industries in its mass deportation efforts after critics from both industries said his immigration policy stripped them of immigrant workers who were difficult to replace.
Trump says he plans to hold a UFC fight at the White House next year
Trump said at an event in Iowa tonight that there will be an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight honoring America's 250th birthday next year at the White House.
"Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight. Think of this, on the grounds of the White House," Trump said.
"We have a lot of land there. We’re going to build a little — we’re not, Dana is going to do it. Dana is great. One of a kind. We're gonna have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight," Trump continued, adding that the event would include roughly 20,000 to 25,000 people.
Trump has attended numerous UFC fights in recent years.
Trump megabill gives the oil industry everything it wants and ends key support for solar and wind
Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act ends long-standing federal support for solar and wind power while creating a friendly environment for oil, gas and coal production.
The House passed Trump’s megabill today ahead of a White House-imposed deadline after the Senate narrowly approved the controversial legislation Tuesday.
Trump has made his priorities on energy production clear. The United States will rely on oil, gas, coal and nuclear to meet its growing energy needs, he said last weekend, bashing wind and solar power.
“I don’t want windmills destroying our place,” Trump told Fox News in an interview that aired Sunday. “I don’t want these solar things where they go for miles and they cover up a half a mountain that are ugly as hell.”
Trump says he 'hates' Democrats at Independence Day event
Trump, speaking at an event organized by a nonpartisan group meant to celebrate America's independence, said he "hates" Democrats for opposing legislation to fund much of his domestic agenda.
Every Democrat in Congress voted against the "Big, Beautiful Bill," many fiercely criticizing the expected cuts it would bring to Medicaid.
"They wouldn’t vote only because they hate Trump, but I hate them, too, you know?" Trump said. "I really do. I hate them. I cannot stand them, because I really believe they hate our country."
Trump said he hopes to weaponize Democratic opposition to the bill in next year’s midterm elections.
"With all of the things we did with the tax cuts and rebuilding our military, not one Democrat voted for us, and I think we use it in the campaign that’s coming up the midterms, because we got to beat them," he said.
Trump signs executive order hiking national park fees for foreign visitors
Trump signed an executive order today that will increase foreign visitors' fees at national parks.
The order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to charge higher entry fees and fees for recreation passes for nonresidents in parts of the National Park System where fees are required.
Revenue from the higher fees will go toward improving infrastructure and efforts to "enhance enjoyment of or access to, America’s Federal recreational areas," the order states.
Most national parks don't charge fees, according to the National Park Service — about 100 out of more than 400 don't.
Trump says call with Putin yielded no progress on a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire
Trump said today that he “didn’t make any progress” on a potential ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war when he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“No, I didn’t make any progress with him today at all,” Trump told reporters when he was asked about any movement toward an agreement on the call.
“We had a call. It was a pretty long call. We talked about a lot of things, including Iran, and we also talked about, as you know, the war with Ukraine. And I’m not happy about that, I’m not happy,” Trump said.
Putin aide Yury Ushakov said in a readout of the call that the two leaders had a “frank and substantive” conversation and that Trump raised the possibility of an immediate ceasefire but that Putin did not agree. Putin said Russia “will pursue its stated objectives” in the conflict, and it continues to look for a political resolution to the conflict through negotiations, Ushakov added.
Trump praises GOP unity as he invites all members of Congress to agenda bill signing ceremony
Trump said the Republican Party is "united like never before" in a Truth Social post praising the party for narrowly passing a massive bill to fund much of his agenda, including the extension of his 2017 tax cuts, and billions of dollars to enact his border policies.
Trump had given Republicans a July 4 deadline to pass the bill. House Republican leadership rescheduled a planned recess this week to meet the self-imposed deadline.
"Thank you to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and all of the wonderful Republican Members of Congress who helped us deliver on our Promises, and so much more. Together, we can do things that were not even imagined possible less than one year ago," Trump wrote in the post.
Trump invited all members of Congress to the bill's signing ceremony, scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon at the White House.
Vance worked alongside Trump to push House Republicans on bill passage
Vice President JD Vance worked alongside Trump to win over GOP holdouts ahead of final passage of the "Big, Beautiful Bill," with both leaders meeting skeptical House Republicans at the White House throughout the day leading up to the vote, a source familiar with Vance's involvement said.
Vance continued to work the phones ahead of the vote to begin debate on the legislation, which began late last night and extended into the early morning, calling multiple House GOP holdouts to make the administration’s case for them to support the bill.
Trump, too, stayed up late to speak to lawmakers, holding a group call at 1 a.m. ET with House Republican leadership and Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Victoria Spartz of Indiana. Burchett and Spartz ultimately voted for the bill, while Massie opposed it.
White House says Trump didn't threaten primary challenges
A White House official said Trump did not threaten primary challenges to earn votes on the Republican megabill.
“The president didn’t threaten to primary one as part of earning their vote. The membership well understands the President’s political power, and ultimately, they want his political power to be used for their benefit,” a senior White House official said. “For those he chooses not to [endorse], we’ll let the process play out.”
Back in June, Trump’s team started a group to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Massie was one of the two House Republicans who voted against the GOP domestic policy bill today.
Trump called Massie “not MAGA” and a “simple minded ‘grandstander’” on Truth Social last month.
Trump also threatened to meet with potential primary challengers to Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who voted against advancing the bill Saturday night. Tillis later said he would not seek re-election.
Trump says he didn't make any deals to win over GOP holdouts
Trump told reporters today that he did not make any promises, specific agreements or deals with House Republicans during the final push to pass his massive agenda bill.
Johnson has said Trump was actively involved in the process and spoke to several House Republican lawmakers to assuage their concerns. But both Johnson and now Trump have rejected some Republicans' assertions that Trump brokered deals with them to secure their support.
"No deals, no deals," Trump said before he boarded Air Force One to Des Moines, Iowa. "What I did is, we talked about how good the bill is. I mean, that's a deal, I guess, when you think about it."
