The one, big, beautiful bill will provide the "largest tax cut for workers and middle-income families in U.S. history," but Democrats in the Senate are obstructing it through a record-breaking series of amendments and delays, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith told Newsmax on Tuesday.
"Of course, there are a lot of issues," the Missouri Republican told Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "It's not going to be easy... so this will be super important to get through."
But there have been more than 45 amendments, and Democrats called for a reading of the bill, taking 15-16 hours.
"They didn't even bother to sit in their seats and listen to it," said Smith. "It's all about slowing down the process. They want to fight for the rights of illegals rather than tax relief for working families."
Meanwhile, Smith said he hopes the House can still take up the Senate's version of the bill and have it on President Donald Trump's desk by July 4.
"But it's all about balance, and I've been telling my colleagues nonstop over the last several days, you have to thread the needle wisely," he said. "We threaded it in the House of Representatives. That led to a passage of 215 to 214. They have to do what it takes to get the 51 votes over in the U.S. Senate and then bring it back."
The spending and tax cuts in the legislation are the largest in the nation's history, said Smith, adding that the bill also provides for the nation's largest investment in border security and funding for the planned "Golden Dome" missile shield project.
"It is a great bill," he said. "It will help all Americans and it would be wonderful for the president to sign this into law on the beginning of the 250th year of this nation."
Smith also defended the Medicaid changes in the bill, pointing out that it will add work requirements for able-bodied healthy adults who do not have children.
"That right there alone saves hundreds of billions of dollars within the program," he said. "There are different things that we've done that will definitely help save the bottom line within the Treasury," he added.
Smith also discussed the ongoing feud between Trump and his former DOGE leader, tech billionaire Elon Musk, over the pending legislation.
"I don't blame Elon Musk for fighting for his companies and issues that affect his companies, but in this bill, it is no surprise the president campaigned on eliminating green tax credits, including the electric vehicle tax credit," he said.
"This bill eliminates more than $530 billion worth of green credits, including $200 billion worth of electric vehicle tax credits, so you can see the differences, but it is all following through what the president campaigned on and 77 million people voted for," said Smith. "He's following through with it."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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