White House says congressional meeting on 'big, beautiful bill' was 'productive'

WASHINGTON

A previously unannounced meeting between US President Donald Trump and congressional leaders over his spending and tax cut megabill was "productive and moved the ball in the right direction," the White House said Wednesday.

"The President reiterated how critical it is for the country to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill as quickly as possible," spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

The meeting was not originally included on Trump's daily schedule but comes as he seeks to rally support for the massive package amid complex opposition from different wings of his party.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson is seeking to tamp down the internal rebellion over the "one, big, beautiful" bill's sweeping provisions, which include massive cuts to taxes and spending, an increase in the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion, a sharp increase in funding for border security and efforts to further roll back the US regulatory framework.

The bill failed to clear a committee vote Friday, with a handful of Republicans joining Democrats to tank it. But it cleared the committee during an exceptionally rare Sunday night vote that saw many of the holdouts voting "present," allowing it to move to the wider House for consideration.

Members of the House Freedom Caucus, including Rep. Chip Roy, have signaled that they will require additional concessions before they lend support during a floor vote.

Rep. Thomas Massie has remained steadfast in his opposition to the bill, however, and has decried what he said will be contributions to the national debt.

Asked by reporters about Massie's opposition, Trump said he does not think his fellow Republican "understands government," while acknowledging his bill will add to the deficit "because we have to fix the country."

"I think he's a grandstander, frankly," Trump said. "I think he should be voted out of office. And I just don't think he understands government. If you ask him a couple of questions, he never gives you an answer. He just says, 'I'm a no.' He thinks he's going to get publicity."