Politics

(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Thursday, in a rare deadlocked 4-4 ruling, said Oklahoma cannot create the nation’s first religious charter school funded directly with taxpayer dollars.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Catholic, did not take part in the decision, recusing from the case early on, presumably given her ties to the Notre Dame Law School clinic that supported the Catholic archdiocese’s effort to create the school, but she did not explain her decision.

The Supreme Court issued a one-line opinion upholding the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling that taxpayer-funded religious schools would violate both the state and U.S. constitutions.

“The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court,” the Supreme Court wrote in an unsigned ruling, so it is not known how each justice voted on the issue.

The court action leaves in place lower court rulings that said the arrangement would have violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

The decision is a setback for a religious freedom movement that has notched major gains in recent years under the Supreme Court’s current conservative majority, including rulings allowing the use of taxpayer-funded school vouchers, scholarships, and capital improvement grants by religious organizations.

First Liberty, a major religious right advocacy group behind faith-based cases at the high court, represented the Oklahoma state school superintendent, Ryan Walters, who was pushing for religious charters.

Walters vowed to keep fighting for them.

“Allowing the exclusion of religious schools from our charter school program in the name of 19th century religious bigotry is wrong,” said Walters. “As state superintendent, I will always stand with parents and families in opposition to religious discrimination and fight until all children in Oklahoma are free to choose the school that serves them best, religious or otherwise.”

The Supreme Court ruling is almost certainly not the final word on the issue, however.

Because the high court divided evenly, its decision is not a binding precedent nationwide and sets the stage for the entire court to reconsider the issue in a future case, perhaps from another state.

The decision is being greeted with relief by advocates for public schools and independent charter schools, who feared that a ruling in favor of St. Isidore of Seville, the Oklahoma Catholic school, would create major disruptions to education systems nationwide.

Forty-five states have charter school programs, encompassing 8,000 schools that serve 3.8 million kids.

Some states, opposed to funding of religious charter schools, had warned they may be forced to curtail their charter programs or end them entirely.

The American Federation of Teachers, which filed an amicus brief in the two related cases before the court, celebrated the court’s block of taxpayer-funded religious charter schools.

“Today, the court let the decision of the Oklahoma Supreme Court stand, which correctly upheld the separation of church and state and backed the founders’ intention to place religious pluralism over sectarianism,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said. “We are pleased that four of the justices agreed that we must preserve and nurture the roots of our democracy, not tear up its very foundations.”

“We respect and honor religious education. It should be separate from public schooling,” Weingarten added. “Public schools, including public charter schools, are funded by taxpayer dollars because they are dedicated to helping all—not just some—children have a shot at success. They are the bedrock of our democracy, and states have long worked to ensure that they remain secular, open and accessible to all.”

ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The White House’s Make America Healthy Again Commission offered a range of critiques about chronic disease in America in a report released Thursday,

Chiefly, the report blames many chronic illnesses on ultra-processed foods, sedentary behavior and over-reliance on digital devices among children, and chemicals in the environment. It also suggests childhood vaccines need to be studied further.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who leads the commission, told reporters on a call Thursday that the report is the “most radical consensus by a government agency in history about the state of America’s health.”

“It is very strong. It’s very frank, and it is a clarion call to do something with utmost urgency to end this crisis, and that’s what we wanted,” Kennedy said.

However, the 69-page document leaves many questions unanswered, including how much it will cost to address the chronic illnesses that Kennedy is focused on and what steps might be taken to curtail them.

Kennedy told reporters that the commission doesn’t yet have a budget to fund the future health initiatives, noting officials plan to develop policy recommendations in the next 100 days.

“There is no budge,” Kennedy said. “At this point, there’s no concrete policy that could be funded in a budget. We’re going to work out the policy recommendations over the next 100 days.”

“The next stage of this process is to come up with policy recommendations for the president, and then we’ll spend the next four years implementing those policy recommendations,” he continued.

Despite the lack of budget details, Kennedy maintained that addressing the chronic health issues would save money in the long term.

“We’re going to save a lot more money in the long run and even in the short run, we can reduce the numbers, which we intend to do during this administration,” Kennedy said.

Officials including Calley Means, a special government employee and adviser to Kennedy who has fought against the presence of ultra-processed foods and pesticides, praised the report.

“The fact that an official U.S. government document … gives credibility to complaints about pesticides and names specific pesticides in there is a monumental symbol,” he told ABC News.

Though the officials largely highlighted improving Americans’ diet, which Kennedy said President Donald Trump had directed the commission to look into, Kennedy also emphasized “exposure to toxic chemicals, a lack of physical activity and chronic stress and over-medicalization.”

He said these factors have made American children “the sickest kids in the world.”

On the issue of pesticides in food — which found a lot of industry pushback in the last few weeks as the report neared its due date — Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, who both have more direct oversight than Kennedy over the industry, were careful to ensure that farmers would not face any surprises.

While Kennedy and others in the MAHA movement have questioned the safety or health of the ingredients in foods on store shelves, Rollins stressed that the U.S. food supply remains safe.

“The food supply is 100% safe,” Rollins said. “It isn’t just safe. It is the safest in the world. And it’s really, really important that we continue to make sure that people understand that,” she added.

Rollins pledged that Kennedy and the MAHA Commission will not “compromise the ability of our American agriculture to do what they do best,” and Zeldin said that any moves to regulate pesticides would be carefully considered against the cost to farmers.

“American farmers rely on these products, and actions that further regulate or restrict crop protection tools, beyond risk-based and scientific processes set forth by Congress, must involve thoughtful consideration of what is necessary for adequate protection, alternatives and cost of production,” he said.

Zeldin added that any quick changes in agricultural practices could have “adverse impact on American agriculture and the domestic food supply.”

The report also calls for new studies on childhood vaccines, which dozens of high-quality studies have found to be safe and effective.

Although the report states that vaccines protect children from infectious diseases, it also claims parents are concerned about their “appropriate use” and their “possible role” in chronic diseases among children.

“Despite the growth of the childhood vaccine schedule, there has been limited scientific inquiry into the links between vaccines and chronic disease, the impacts of vaccine injury, and conflicts of interest in the development of the vaccine schedule. These areas warrant future inquiry,” the report states.

Dozens of studies have failed to find a link between an increased number of vaccines and more chronic disease among children.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Thursday, in a rare deadlocked 4-4 ruling, said Oklahoma cannot create the nation’s first religious charter school funded directly with taxpayer dollars.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not take part in the decision, recusing from the case early on, presumably given her ties to the Notre Dame law clinic that supported the Catholic diocese, but she did not explain her decision.

The Supreme Court issued a one-line opinion upholding the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling that taxpayer-funded religious schools would violate both the state and U.S. constitutions.

“The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court,” the Supreme Court wrote in an unsigned ruling so it is not known how each justice voted on the issue.

The court action leaves in place lower court rulings that said the arrangement would have violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

The decision is a setback for a religious freedom movement that has notched major gains in recent years under the Supreme Court’s current conservative majority, including rulings allowing the use of taxpayer-funded school vouchers, scholarships, and capital improvement grants by religious organizations.

The ruling is almost certainly not the final word on the issue, however.

Because the Supreme Court divided evenly, its decision is not a binding precedent nationwide and sets the stage for the entire court to reconsider the issue in a future case, perhaps from another state.

The decision is being greeted with relief by advocates for public schools and independent charter schools, who feared that a ruling in favor of St. Isidore of Seville, the Oklahoma Catholic school, would create major disruptions to education systems nationwide.

Forty-five states have charter school programs, encompassing 8,000 schools that serve 3.8 million kids.

Some states, opposed to funding of religious charter schools, had warned they may be forced to curtail their charter programs or end them entirely.

ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — After weeks of internal GOP wrangling, the Republican-led House early Thursday passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” critical to advancing President Donald Trump’s tax and immigration agenda.

A smiling Speaker Mike Johnson announced the massive measure passed by a single vote — 215-214 — and was greeted with applause. He had struggled to get it done — as he had promised — by Memorial Day, before lawmakers go on recess.

The sweeping package of tax cuts, Medicaid reform and immigration spending delivers on many of the president’s domestic campaign promises.

Following debate that stretched Wednesday through the entire night and into early Thursday morning, the vote was a triumphant moment for Johnson, who conquered sharp divisions among his conference “through a lot of prayer” amid a historically low 3-vote majority.

“The bill gets Americans back to winning again, and it’s been a long time coming,” Johnson proclaimed during his speech on the floor moments before the final vote. “It quite literally is again morning in America, isn’t it, all right?”

Trump celebrated the passage of what he called “THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL” in a social media post, calling it the “most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!”

He said it fulfilled his campaign promise of “No Tax on Tips and No Tax on Overtime.” He also recognized the tax deductions when consumers purchase an American-made vehicle, funding for the Golden Dome defense system, and the “TRUMP Savings Accounts” incorporated in the legislation.

“Great job by Speaker Mike Johnson, and the House Leadership, and thank you to every Republican who voted YES on this Historic Bill!,” Trump wrote.

“Now, it’s time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work, and send this Bill to my desk AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!” Trump added, before slamming Democrats.

During the final House vote, Republican lawmakers approached the speaker with congratulatory handshakes and back slaps. Someone also played Queen’s “We Are The Champions” off a phone for about 10 seconds while the vote was underway.

Republicans cheered, whistled and applauded when the threshold for passage was achieved at 6:54 a.m.

The successful vote, with one GOP lawmaker voting present, sends the reconciliation bill to the Senate, where the Republican majority is expected to revise the legislation over the next month or longe

Two House Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio, opposed the vote alongside the entire House Democratic Caucus. Rep. Andy Harris, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, voted present.

Johnson took a victory lap following the vote – holding a news conference alongside his leadership team and committee chairs – after Republicans pulled off the improbable and passed the president’s signature legislative package.

“It’s finally Morning in America again,” Johnson beamed as he reported his earlier comment. “The media and the Democrats have consistently dismissed any possibility that House Republicans could get this stuff. They did not believe that we could succeed in our mission to enact President Trump’s America first agenda, but this is a big one, and once again, they have been proven wrong.”

After a marathon hearing that ended overnight, the House Rules committee voted 8-4 to tee up action on the House floor.

The committee vote came after changes to several of the bill’s provisions, including a change to when Medicaid work requirements would kick in.

Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, one of the GOP holdouts that had put the bill’s fate in question, was absent for the committee’s votes.

The key procedural step was needed before advancing the legislation to a final vote.

The slow march toward passage comes after Trump met with House Speaker Mike Johnson and members of the House Freedom Caucus on Wednesday, aiming to shore up support for the bill.

That meeting came after earlier negotiations with hard-liners fell apart Tuesday. The GOP is far from unified around the bill, which they earlier had said they hoped to move to a vote on Wednesday. Several sticking points, primarily regarding Medicaid work requirements and a cap on state and local tax deductions, still need to be worked out.

After the meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “The meeting was productive and moved the ball in the right direction. The President reiterated how critical it is for the country to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill as quickly as possible.”

Clearing the House is just the first hurdle for the bill — it will also have to pass muster with a Senate Republican conference that is already telegraphing that they plan to make changes.

Here are the major changes to the bill in the 42-page amendment:

Medicaid: The start date for new Medicaid work requirements will now kick in “no later than December 31, 2026.” The original bill had the work requirements starting in 2029.

This alteration is a win for hardliners who have for days been pushing for steeper spending cuts to be included in the package. Medicaid work requirements are expected to reduce spending in the bill.

There is also a new incentive for states to not expand Medicaid. Medicaid expansion states are increasing state-directed payments up to 110% to maintain the structure.

State and Local Tax Deductions: SALT deduction rises to $40,000 for incomes under $500,000. This is a substantive change from the $10,000 cap that was implemented by Republicans in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

This is a concession geared toward satiating blue-state Republicans in states like New York and California. Many of them conditioned their support for the package on lifting or raising the cap on these deductions. Moderates will brand this as a big win.

Maga Savings Account: The amendment changes the names of these accounts. Instead of MAGA Accounts, they will now be called “Trump” Accounts. The president’s last name appears in the manager’s amendment +50 times.

Expedited cuts to clean energy credits: Some of Biden-era clean energy tax credits will phase out sooner, allowing Republicans to recoup costs to apply toward the overall cost of the bill. To receive credits, new projects must break ground within 60 days or be “placed in service” by the end of 2028.

Billions in border security reimbursements: The Department of Homeland Security appropriates $12 billion to states for costs associated with Biden-era border actions through September 30, 2029. The DHS Secretary can authorize grants to assist with immigration enforcement.

Ends tax on silencers: The manager’s amendment delists silencers from the National Firearms Act, effectively ending a tax on transferring silencers.

ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The future of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that would fund his second-term agenda could depend on SALT.

The State and Local Tax deduction has been a wedge between Democrats and Republicans but now a division between GOP House members from high-tax districts and fiscal hardliners who look at it as subsidizing blue states.

Adding more confusion over the debate is the president himself, who has flipped since his first term in office.

What is SALT?

The SALT deduction allows taxpayers to itemize state and local taxes in their filing, including property taxes.

Residents of states like New York, New Jersey and California, along with cities like Salt Lake City, Miami and Houston, which have a larger share of wealthier taxpayers and homeowners, used the deduction the most, according to IRS data.

The Tax Foundation, a non-profit that analyses tax data, found in 2017 that about 90% of the value of the deduction went to families making more than $100,000.

Prior to 2017, taxpayers had an unlimited total SALT deduction. The average SALT deduction was around $13,000 nationwide and below $15,000 in most counties, according to the non-profit group the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

Fissures develop after Trump puts limits on SALT

During his first term, Trump’s massive 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made huge cuts to federal spending to pay for tax breaks for wealthier Americans. The bill capped the SALT deduction at $10,000.

Democrats and Republicans in those states that had benefitted from the higher SALT cap protested against that section of the bill, arguing that it would harm their constituents.

“It’s a geographic redistribution of wealth,” then-New York Republican congressman Lee Zeldin told CNBC in 2017. “When you are taking extra money from a state like New York or New Jersey to pay for a deeper tax cut elsewhere.”

Zeldin, who was Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency in his second term, was among the 13 Republican House members who voted against the bill.

House Republicans, who ultimately prevailed, contended that SALT benefited the wealthiest Americans.

“This is about giving hardworking taxpayers bigger paychecks, more take-home pay,” then-Speaker Paul Ryan said after the bill passed the House.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has repeatedly slammed Trump and Republicans for capping the SALT deduction and called for it to be eliminated.

“Congress has placed a bullseye on New York State — you don’t have to be a partisan nose to smell a rat, but I tell you, this plan stinks,” he told reporters in 2017.

Trump ignored the criticism then, but his messaging changed after he was voted out of office in 2020.

Trump changes his tune, but not everyone plays along

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to end the cap. He didn’t mention that he championed and signed the 2017 bill that created it.

“I will turn it around, get SALT back, lower your Taxes, and so much more,” Trump posted on Truth Social in September, just before a campaign rally in Nassau County, New York, one of the counties with the most SALT deductions.

He made the same claim at the rally, but didn’t offer any details.

While New York Republicans welcomed the reversal, Democrats, including Schumer, called Trump out for his hypocrisy.

“His tax bill did it, a dagger aimed at blue states that want to spend a little more to help people with housing, and health care, and education, transportation,” Schumer said on the Senate floor the day after the rally. “All of a sudden, now that he is on Long Island, Donald Trump’s selective amnesia kicks in and he totally reverses himself on SALT.”

Trump has continued to push for SALT changes, but not everyone in his party has jumped on board.

Salt in the budget wounds

SALT has become a sticking point in Republican infighting over Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Several GOP House members, including Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, vowed to vote no on the bill without a SALT cap increase.

“So, this is, as it stands, I have been very clear. This does not have my support,” he told reporters last week.

Lawler said Republican hardliners were “screwing a whole host of people who are getting hammered by property taxes.”

GOP Rep. Nick LaLota of New York declared “there is no deal without a true SALT fix.”

Exasperated House GOP fiscal hardliners pushed back against any deal to raise the SALT cap as they seek to reduce the debt.

“You need to get behind the cuts that we need to find the savings that we need to find. Stop b—-ing,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said of his colleagues pushing to raise the SALT cap. “The reality is, we’re $37 trillion in debt and we have a $2 trillion deficit. This is a math problem.”

In a meeting with House Republicans on Tuesday, Trump told them “Don’t let SALT impede this bill,” claiming they could fight for raising the cap later.

An overnight tentative deal that would raise the cap to $30,000 threatened GOP leadership’s hopes to get the bill to the floor for a vote.

Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, chairman of the conservative House Freedom Council, said the SALT deal pushes hardliners “further away from a deal.”

“This bill actually got worse overnight,” Harris told Newsmax on Wednesday. “There is no way it passes today.”

“We may need a couple of weeks to iron everything out but it’s not going anywhere today,” he said.

Hardliners were to meet with Trump on Wednesday afternoon to see if he can break the impasse.

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(WASHINGTON) — A district judge ruled on Wednesday that the government’s deportations of eight men convicted of violent crimes to South Sudan was “unquestionably violative of this Court’s order” after ruling earlier this week that the Department of Homeland Security maintain custody of the migrants.

Judge Brian Murphy, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, had issued an order on Tuesday directing the government to maintain custody of anyone covered by his preliminary injunction who is in the process of being removed to South Sudan or any other country “to ensure the practical feasibility of return if the Court finds that such removals were unlawful.”

“It was impossible for these people to have a meaningful opportunity to object to their transfer to South Sudan in that time frame,” he said, arguing that due process was not possible since the migrants received their notices of removal on the evening of May 19 and then taken out of the detention facility the next morning.

DHS confirmed the eight migrants were placed on a deportation flight from Texas headed to war-torn South Sudan on Monday, officials said ahead of the hearing, though they cautioned this would not be the migrants’ final destination.

Ahead of the hearing, DHS held a news conference in Boston on the deportations in which Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told reporters that “no country on earth wanted to accept them because their crimes are so uniquely monstrous and barbaric.”

“A local judge in Massachusetts is trying to force the United States to bring back these uniquely barbaric monsters who present a clear and present threat to the safety of the American people and American victims,” McLaughlin said. “While we are fully compliant with the law and court orders, it is absolutely absurd for a district judge to try and to dictate the foreign policy and national security of the United States of America.”

When asked where the eight men are, McLaughlin said she “can’t disclose where their current whereabouts are right now” but that they were still in DHS custody. Officials declined to identify their final destination, citing security concerns.

“I would caution you to make the assumption that their final destination is South Sudan. As far as that agreement goes, I would definitely refer you to the State Department’s more specifics,” she added.

Officials said the men’s countries of origin refused to accept them, so DHS in partnership with the State Department found a country that would accept them through a “safe third-country agreement.”

“I can say that their home countries refuse to take these individuals back,” acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said.

“ICE detention isn’t punitive. We detain and remove after six months or 180 days. If we don’t have a country that’ll take their citizens back, we do have an option to find a safe third country,” Lyons said.

However, McLaughlin argued to reporters that the eight migrants were given due process.

“We are following due process under the U.S. Constitution. These individuals have been given and their lawyers have been given plenty of prior notice. As far as those actual agreements, we can get back to you with more information from the State Department,” she said.

Murphy said the violation will now need to be remedied.

In response, plaintiffs’ attorney Trina Realmuto argued during the court hearing that the plane should be returned to the U.S. and the men should be afforded the due process that she said “can only take place on U.S. soil.”

Drew Ensign, an attorney for the Department of Justice, asked the court to fashion as narrow a remedy as possible and suggested that an option is for the due process required by the injunction to take place without bringing the plane back to the U.S. However, Ensign could not immediately answer Murphy’s question about whether that is possible.

ICE released names and other details regarding those deported on Wednesday. Several were convicted of first-degree and second-degree murder.

Kyaw Mya, a citizen of Burma, was convicted of lascivious acts with a child-victim less than 12 years of age. Nyo Myint, a citizen of Burma, was convicted of first-degree sexual assault involving a victim mentally and physically incapable of resisting.

Another was convicted of robbery, possession of a firearm and driving under the influence.

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(WASHINGTON) — The United States officially accepted a luxury jet to use as Air Force One from Qatar, the Department of Defense confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday.

“The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.

“The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States,” he added.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that eight migrants convicted of violent crimes were placed on a deportation flight from Texas headed to war-torn South Sudan on Monday, officials said on Wednesday.

Although they are going to the African nation, officials cautioned this would not be their final destination.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told reporters, “No country on earth wanted to accept them because their crimes are so uniquely monstrous and barbaric.”

“A local judge in Massachusetts is trying to force the United States to bring back these uniquely barbaric monsters who present a clear and present threat to the safety of the American people and American victims. While we are fully compliant with the law and court orders, it is absolutely absurd for a district judge to try and to dictate the foreign policy and national security of the United States of America,” McLaughlin said.

Judge Brian Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued an order on Tuesday directing the government to maintain custody of anyone covered by his preliminary injunction that is currently being removed to South Sudan or any other country “to ensure the practical feasibility of return if the Court finds that such removals were unlawful.” Another hearing is set for Wednesday in Boston, with U.S. officials ordered to appear.

When asked where the eight men are, McLaughlin said she “can’t disclose where their current whereabouts are right now” but that they were still in DHS custody. Officials declined to identify their final destination, citing security concerns.

“I would caution you to make the assumption that their final destination is South Sudan. As far as that agreement goes, I would definitely refer you to the State Department’s more specifics,” she added.

Officials said the men’s countries of origin refused to accept them, so DHS in partnership with the State Department found a country that would accept them through a “safe third-country agreement.”

“I can say that their home countries refuse to take these individuals back,” acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said.

“ICE detention isn’t punitive. We detain and remove after six months or 180 days. If we don’t have a country that’ll take their citizens back, we do have an option to find a safe third country,” Lyons said.

McLaughlin told reporters that the eight migrants were given due process.

“We are following due process under the U.S. Constitution. These individuals have been given and their lawyers have been given plenty of prior notice. As far as those actual agreements, we can get back to you with more information from the State Department,” she said.

ICE released names and other details regarding those deported on Wednesday. Several were convicted of first-degree and second-degree murder.

Kyaw Mya, a citizen of Burma, was convicted of lascivious acts with a child-victim less than 12 years of age. Nyo Myint, a citizen of Burma, was convicted of first-degree sexual assault involving a victim mentally and physically incapable of resisting.

Another was convicted of robbery, possession of a firearm and driving under the influence.

ABC News’ James Hill contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — House Republican leaders — including Speaker Mike Johnson — are expected to head to the White House Wednesday afternoon along with members of the House Freedom Caucus to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss the megabill that advances the president’s legislative agenda, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

The critical meeting comes as GOP leaders are scrambling to get the bill back on track after negotiations went south with hard-liners overnight.

House Republicans’ efforts are ongoing as a House Rules Committee hearing is still going strong after it started at 1 a.m. ET Wednesday. Committee chairs and ranking members continue to debate the details of the more than 1,000 page “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which has changes to Medicaid, state and local tax deductions, SNAP food assistance, immigration policy and more.

The GOP is far from unified around the bill with several sticking points among Republican hard-liners primarily regarding Medicaid work requirements and a cap on state and local tax deductions. Trump spoke to Republicans on Capitol Hill Tuesday in an effort to persuade them to back his signature bill — at one point threatening to primary those who vote against it.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, one of the holdouts, said there is “no way” the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passes in the House Wednesday — despite Johnson’s goal of putting the bill on the floor as early as Wednesday after it clears the Rules Committee. Johnson is still working to secure the votes of the more than a dozen Republicans who are seeking additional changes to the legislation. Without changes, there is enough opposition to defeat it as Johnson can only afford to lose three votes.

“We’re further away from a deal,” Harris said on Newsmax Wednesday morning. “This bill actually got worse overnight. There is no way it passes today.”

Key components of the legislation are set to come up in the Rules Committee Wednesday morning, which will focus on tax provisions, overhaul of SNAP and Medicaid cuts. However, GOP leaders have still not released expected changes — negotiated by hard-liners and moderates — to the tax and budget bill.

Rules Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx emphasized that Republicans need to move forward on their bill to “ensure our economic survival.” She added that Republican changes to the package will be unveiled at some point during the hearing.

Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, lambasted Republicans’ reconciliation bill.

“I’ve got a simple question. What the hell are Republicans so afraid of? What the hell are you so scared of that you guys are holding this hearing at 1 o’clock in the morning. It’s a simple question that speaks to the heart of what’s going on here, and one that I’m going to keep on asking, if Republicans are so proud of what is in this bill, then why are you trying to ram it through in the dead of night?” McGovern said.

On Wednesday morning, House Democratic leaders led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pushed back on the bill by introducing an amendment — one of the more than 500 amendments submitted by both Democrats and Republicans to the reconciliation package — to strike all provisions that they say would “cause millions of Americans to lose healthcare and food assistance.”

“Unfortunately, we are here today discussing a bill that would make that American dream harder to reach for millions by increasing costs for families, hardworking American families, and gutting the things that they need to survive and thrive,” Jeffries said, adding that the bill, if enacted, would force nearly 14 million people off health insurance.

Jeffries said that if the bill passes, “hospitals will close, nursing homes will shut down, and people will die in all of your districts.” He also attacked the potential overhaul to the federal food assistance program — SNAP.

Jeffries called the megabill “one, big ugly bill” that will “hurt the American people.”

Minority Whip Katherine Clark focused on the impacts the GOP’s bill will have on health care for women like access to fertility treatments and screenings.

“I hope this amendment gives you all pause when the women in this country deserve health care, and I hope you will think about the moms struggling to get by and stay healthy for the sake of their children and their families. It is not too late to do right by them,” she said.

Overnight, several Republican members left as Democrats burned the midnight oil — introducing various amendments to the package.

Ranking Member Bennie Thompson of Homeland Security expressed frustration with the process overnight.

“I described Homeland Security portion of this bill as putting lipstick on a pig. I come from an agricultural district as well as a part of the country. So let me use another farming analogy to wrap up: We may be here in the dead of night, but you do not need the light of day to smell manure. The American people are not going to be fooled by any middle-of-the-night, manure-slinging here,” the Mississippi Democrat said, adding that it “stinks to high heaven.”

Overnight, several committee chairs and ranking members testified before the powerful panel including Armed Services, Budget, Oversight, Natural Resources, Financial Services, Judiciary, Homeland Security, Transportation, Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Agriculture and Education.

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(WASHINGTON) — Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia has died, his office announced Wednesday morning. He was 75 years old.

“It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning surrounded by family,” a statement from his family read.

Connolly had served in Congress since 2009. He was a champion for federal workers, pushing back in recent months against the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s overhaul of the government.

“We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion. His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but we are proud that his life’s work will endure for future generations,” his family said.

Just last month, Connolly said he was stepping down from the top Democratic position on the influential House Oversight Committee because his cancer had returned. Connolly had defeated New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the committee chair in December.

He had been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in November.

“When I announced my diagnosis six months ago, I promised transparency,” he said in his statement last month. “After grueling treatments, we’ve learned that the cancer, while initially beaten back, has now returned. I’ll do everything possible to continue to represent you and thank you for your grace.”

Tributes to Connolly poured in from his congressional colleagues.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries commended Connolly’s work on the House Oversight Committee and on federal tech legislation.

“In addition to his legislative wisdom, Gerry always brought his signature mirth and wit to the House, making even something like proxy voting a point of levity during an otherwise challenging time in our nation,” Jeffries wrote. “My prayers, and those of the entire House Democratic Caucus, are with Congressman Connolly’s loved ones and the devoted staff who he considered to be his family.”

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Congressman Gerry Connolly. For decades, he dedicated his life to serving the people of Virginia. Our prayers are with his family, friends, and the people of Virginia’s 11th district during this difficult time,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said in a statement.

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