WASHINGTON—Oklahoma Congressman Josh Brecheen cast a pivotal Yes vote early Thursday morning, helping the House narrowly pass President Donald Trump’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill” after days of closed-door negotiations and public debate.
The final tally was 215-214, with Brecheen’s (R-Ada) vote proving crucial after intense negotiations between House conservatives and GOP leadership led to an amendment addressing his initial concerns with the bill.
Brecheen and other fiscal hawks previously opposed the bill, citing concerns over delayed Medicaid work requirements and the prolonged phase-out of green energy tax credits. Following private talks with Republican leadership and the White House, the GOP holdouts allowed the bill to advance, setting the stage for final negotiations.
“I voted YES this morning on the One Big Beautiful Bill because my concerns were addressed,” Brecheen said in a post on X. “We obtained a true repeal of the Green New Scam’s wind and solar tax credits and that transgender surgeries will no longer be paid for at the taxpayer’s expense. Additionally, work requirements for the able-bodied on Medicaid will start in 2026.”
A 22-hour long House Rules Committee session on Wednesday became the backdrop for those talks, as GOP factions and the White House worked to resolve lingering differences in the reconciliation bill ahead of a Memorial Day deadline set by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
After a brief recess that followed 20 hours of hearings and amendment proposals, the House Rules Committee voted Yes on a “manager’s amendment” crafted by House Republicans. This amendment made key revisions to the Republicans’ multi-trillion dollar bill in an effort to win over GOP holdouts ahead of the final vote. The Congressional Budget Office estimated Thursday the bill will raise the federal debt by more than $3.8 trillion over the next decade, while cuts to services would total $1 trillion in savings.
The bill passed at 6:54 a.m. EDT Thursday, capping a dramatic overnight session that drew sharp criticism from Democrats. They slammed Republican leadership for pushing the vote through “the dead of the night” with limited public hearings or debate on the bill’s final form.
“This is one big, ugly bill that House Republicans are trying to jam down the throats of the American people under the cover of darkness,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during debate on the House floor.
Breechan’s primary concerns were addressed in the revised legislation, including his objection to the delayed start date for work requirements for certain able-bodied Medicaid beneficiaries, which was moved up from January 1, 2029, to December 21, 2026. The bill also advances the phaseout of clean energy tax credits to 2028, shortening the original timeline under the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended incentives for wind, solar and battery storage well into the 2030s.
All five Oklahoma House members voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Moore) defended the measure against attacks from “fearmongering” Democrats, saying it would “strengthen, secure, and sustain Medicaid” by curbing abuse and limiting access for “illegal immigrants and capable adults who are just choosing not to work.”
Among the notable revisions to the extensive legislation was the renaming of investment accounts for babies born between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2028, from “MAGA” to “Trump” accounts. Additionally, the bill raises the state and local tax (SALT) cap from the previous $10,000 limit to $40,000 for households earning up to $500,000, with a gradual phase-down for incomes above that threshold. Both the cap and income limit will increase by 1% annually over the next ten years.
With Congress set to recess until early June, the Senate will face the bill when it reconvenes.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.
