House Republicans resist Senate’s overhaul of major bill ahead of its ultimate passage

House Republicans were briefly digging in their heels over what they see as a Senate ambush on their hard-fought “One Big Beautiful Bill,” as the Western Journal reported. though in the end, their protest did not stop the package from passing.

The clash centered on a bill that initially narrowly passed the House by a single vote, only to be heavily altered by the Senate, sparking outrage among GOP representatives who now face pressure to accept changes they deem unacceptable, all while President Donald Trump eyes an Independence Day signing.

Let’s rewind to the start: House Republicans, already a bit testy, managed to push through the “One Big Beautiful Bill” with the slimmest of margins — just one vote to spare.

House barely passes bill

That initial victory was no small feat for a party wrestling with internal grumbling, but it set the stage for a bigger fight.

Enter the Senate, which took the House’s carefully crafted legislation and rewrote it with amendments so significant they were partly mandated by the Senate parliamentarian to fit budget rules for a simple majority vote.

The Senate’s vote on this altered bill ended in a dramatic 50-50 tie, broken only by Vice President J.D. Vance stepping in to push it over the line.

Senate tie highlights GOP divisions

That deadlock came courtesy of Republican defectors — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — who broke ranks, leaving their party in a lurch.

Now, back in the House, the reaction to these Senate changes was anything but warm and fuzzy.

Several House Republicans appeared to reject the revised bill out of hand, initially vowing to stand firm against any arm-twisting to get it passed.

House GOP slams Senate’s heavy hand

House Speaker Mike Johnson admitted on Tuesday, “We knew the Senate would amend the House product.”

But then he added a polite jab, noting they went “a little further” than many in the House would have liked — turns out, understatement might be his superpower.

Others weren’t so diplomatic, with Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina declaring, “It’s a non-starter,” signaling just how deep the frustration runs over a bill he sees as gutted.

Frustration mounts over spending

Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana piled on, pointing out that the Senate ignored the spending restraint House Republicans had insisted on from the get-go.

Here’s the kicker: while fiscal conservatives in the House were fuming over what they see as a progressive overreach in disguise, they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place with President Donald Trump eager to sign this bill on Independence Day.

Johnson said that the House was poised to begin the process of passage on Wednesday, which ultimately occurred, but with so many members balking at the Senate’s version, it was — for a while — anyone’s guess whether they would get there without a full-blown revolt.