With the Fourth of July just around the corner, the White House is pushing hard to pass President Trump’s ambitious One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB).
The administration is hoping to deliver a major win in time for a flashy signing ceremony on America’s birthday, but internal Republican divisions could derail the whole plan.
A High-Stakes Independence Day Showdown
President Trump isn’t just eyeing legislative victory—he wants fireworks, flagpoles, and a grand celebration on the White House lawn.
The goal? To sign his massive tax and border bill, flanked by a sea of GOP lawmakers, in a moment designed for maximum patriotic impact.
But before any of that can happen, both chambers of Congress need to agree on a final version of the OBBB—something that’s proving harder than expected.
The House Passed It, the Senate Is Tweaking It
The House approved a $2.4 trillion version of the OBBB back in May.
Since then, the Senate has been slicing, editing, and reshaping the bill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is hoping for a vote by Friday, leaving the House with just a few days to reconcile any differences.
That means lawmakers are racing against the clock.
If the bill isn’t finalized by next week, many in Congress will leave Washington for their July 4 break—possibly without delivering Trump his holiday gift.
Divisions Emerge Among Republicans
Even Republicans who usually back Trump are airing concerns.
Some think the spending cuts don’t go far enough. Others feel they go too far.
There’s also serious pushback over a controversial AI regulation clause that would limit oversight in certain states for ten years.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, for instance, says her vote is still up in the air because of that AI provision. And if more than a few lawmakers defect, the bill won’t pass.
White House Deploys Pressure Campaign
To calm nerves and rally support, the White House has gone into full-court press mode.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair met with the conservative Republican Study Committee this week to deliver a clear message: Nobody’s leaving town until this bill is done.
They promised that Trump is ready to make personal calls to persuade hesitant lawmakers if necessary. But the math is tight—and even a small rebellion could throw everything off track.
Some Call It a ‘Crap Sandwich’
Tensions boiled over in private meetings. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris called the Senate’s version of the bill a “crap sandwich.”
Rep. Chip Roy posted online that the Senate draft is worse than what the House originally passed.
Meanwhile, Senators Rand Paul and Ron Johnson are raising alarms about what the bill would do to the national deficit.
Paul even described the current state of negotiations as a “blood bath.”
Senate Parliamentarian Strips Out Key GOP Priorities
To make things even tougher, the Senate Parliamentarian has been combing through the bill and removing provisions that don’t comply with reconciliation rules.
This means several Republican wish-list items—like deep Medicaid cuts—have been chopped.
Sen. Rand Paul wasn’t shy about his frustration: “Already anemic spending cuts have gotten even worse,” he told reporters.
Treasury Secretary Tries to Smooth It Over
To help ease the tension, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with senators this week and came out sounding optimistic.
He told the press that things are still on track and that a Friday vote is likely.
Meanwhile, House GOP leaders say they’ll move fast once they get the final Senate version.
But that’s assuming it’s something they can actually live with.
House Conservatives Ready to Dig In
Not everyone’s feeling the rush. Rep. Ralph Norman said the Senate’s version is unacceptable and warned that if needed, lawmakers should be prepared to stay in Washington all summer to get it right.
“This is our moment,” he said. “If we fail to seize it, it’s on us.”
Will Trump Get His July 4 Celebration?
Right now, it’s anyone’s guess. The clock is ticking, tensions are high, and the version of the bill that finally makes it to Trump’s desk may look very different from what he first envisioned.
Whether we see fireworks on the White House lawn—or fireworks inside the GOP—depends on what happens in the coming days.