Congress has fully passed President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’, a major budget reconciliation bill. The passing of this legislation serves as a major legislative victory for Trump’s second term, as it codifies several of the campaign promises Trump ran his elections on. The bill is noteworthy for its additional spending on immigration enforcement and defense programs, while also cutting social programs like Medicaid and SNAP. The bill also helped legislate expanded child tax credits, no taxes on tips, social security, or overtime, and savings accounts for newborns.
The bill passed with a slim 218-214 majority. Among Wisconsin’s six Republican representatives (Bryan Steil, Derrick Van Orden, Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Tiffany and Tony Wied) each voted alongside the GOP to pass the bill. The two Democrat representatives, (Mark Pocan and Gwen Moore) voted no, alongside most of their other Democrat colleagues.
Representative Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconin’s 5th Congressional District claims that he has openly supported the bill from the beginning. Following the Big Beautiful Bill’s passing, Fitzgerald released the following statement:
“Just in time for the Fourth of July, we’re sending the final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill to President Trump’s desk and delivering on the conservative agenda we promised the American people.
“This bill is a major win for working families. It delivers historic tax relief by boosting take-home pay, making the Trump Tax Cuts permanent, giving seniors eligible for Social Security tax relief, increasing the child tax credit, and protecting family farms from the death tax. By eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, it also ensures workers keep more of what they earn.
“It also restores integrity to Medicaid by ending fraud and abuse—protecting benefits for the most vulnerable. It also fully funds President Trump’s border wall and increases staffing for ICE and Border Patrol. This helps restore law and order at our southern border and keeps our communities safe.
“From putting more money in the pockets of hard-working Americans to making our national security a top priority, this legislation puts the needs of Americans first. I’m proud to have supported it from the start and look forward to President Trump signing it into law.”
Fitzgerald’s district contains small portions of Milwaukee, but primarily reaches west. It contains areas such as Waukesha, West Bend, Watertown, Lake Mills, and Mukwonago.
According to national polling, about 49% of Americans opposed the bill as of July 1, 2025. 29% were in favor of the bill, while 21% claimed they were unsure. Reactions have been mixed, as two Republican congressmen (Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzgerald of Pennsylvania) voted against the GOP and the bill, siding instead with Democrat leaders.
