Trump's Controversial Budget Bill: A Trillion-Dollar Gamble?

Trump’s Budget Bill Passes House, Faces Senate Hurdles Washington, D.C. – Donald Trump's ambitious budget bill narrowly passed the US House on June 2nd, 2025, sparking debate and uncertainty about its future in the Senate. The bill, characterized by significant tax cuts and increased military spending, is projected to dramatically increase the national debt. Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro reported from Washington that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will raise the US deficit by \$3.8 trillion over the next decade. This figure remains true even after accounting for the spending cuts included in the bill. "Those items are all popular among conservatives, but what’s not popular is their price tag," Zhou-Castro noted in her report. The bill’s passage through the House was remarkably close, with a winning margin of just one vote. This narrow victory casts doubt on the bill's prospects in the Senate, where several Republicans have already expressed concerns and indicated the need for substantial changes before they would support it. One Republican Senator, whose name was not mentioned in the report, stated that the bill needs significant changes before they can vote yes. The proposed cuts to Medicaid, a government-funded healthcare program for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals, have also drawn criticism and protests. The bill's inclusion of new work requirements for Medicaid recipients and penalties for states providing state-funded healthcare to undocumented immigrants further complicates its path to Senate approval. The narrow passage in the House and the expressed reservations of several Republican senators suggest a challenging road ahead for the bill’s progression into law.