In a night filled with negotiations and late calls, President Donald Trump sought to secure the passage of his significant tax reform bill, which includes extensive tax breaks and spending cuts. Following a White House meeting with House Republicans on July 2, 2025, some GOP holdouts reported that Trump assured them of future improvements to the legislation to gain their votes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson noted that Trump actively engaged with lawmakers to address their concerns, ensuring their questions were answered as the deadline approached. South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman stated that Trump offered “assurances” regarding potential amendments to the bill, particularly concerning permitting for wind and solar tax credits.
“Wind and solar needs to be — we would have cut those out Day 1. We couldn’t do that,” Norman remarked during an interview on CNBC.
Norman suggested that Trump could potentially leverage executive power to enhance the legislation. However, despite ongoing discussions, no modifications were made to the bill’s text during the week’s negotiations.
Texas Representative Chip Roy, a prominent conservative voice who opposed the bill, expressed that the Freedom Caucus had achieved significant victories. “There may be a few more yet,” he said, emphasizing the importance of reforms.
Roy highlighted the bill’s provisions aimed at reforming Medicaid, advocating for work requirements and a return to pre-COVID spending levels, which he claims would save over $1 trillion. He credited the Freedom Caucus for these essential changes.
Georgia Representative Andrew Clyde remarked that he had pushed to amend the bill to eliminate taxes on firearms. He noted, “I also had the opportunity to discuss this critical matter directly with President Trump at the White House,” emphasizing his commitment to Second Amendment rights and announcing that he plans to support the bill in alignment with Trump’s America First agenda, despite the firearms tax remaining intact.
