Final vote expected on Trump’s signature billpublished at 09:01 British Summer Time
James FitzGerald
North America reporter
US President Donald Trump’s mega-bill on tax and
spending could soon become law, with a final vote expected in the coming hours
in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress.
Trump’s bill, which could define his second presidency,
has faced an uneasy passage so far.
Several members of his own Republican Party
have joined opposition Democrats in criticising the bill for a variety of
reasons – including the impact on US national debt, and healthcare.
However, in the past hour, those Republican holdouts flipped
– meaning that a key procedural hurdle was passed, setting up the final ballot.
That will be welcome news for the president, who has personally
put pressure on rebel Republicans to try to get this sprawling legislation signed
off by Friday – when the US celebrates Independence Day.
The ongoing proceedings represent the second gruelling overnight
session for Congress members this week, after the bill ground through the
upper chamber, or Senate, about 24 hours ago.