Many political analysts did not believe Republicans could pass a single, sprawling bill encompassing much of President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda using the budget reconciliation process. The majorities in both Houses of Congress were too narrow and the coalitions too diverse to achieve agreement, they argued. 

But Trump, with major assists from Republican leadership, continued producing “wins” on Thursday with perhaps his biggest governing achievement yet: the passage of his One Big Beautiful Bill Act. After months of intense negotiations, razor-thin votes, and legislative maneuvering, Trump’s agenda is now being made the law of the land. The passage comes ahead of Trump’s Independence Day deadline and a mere 25 weeks into his second term.