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‘One at family event, some of them are...’: Mike Johnson's plea after Big Beautiful Bill fails House vote
Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to rally Republican support for Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, despite several lawmakers being absent.
Speaker Mike Johnson is doing everything he can to hold the line as House Republicans scramble to rescue Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’
Several Republican lawmakers who hadn’t yet voted on the procedural step weren’t even at the Capitol. “One of them had to attend a family event… some of them are on their way back now,” Johnson told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday night.
The House Speaker confirmed the procedural vote, which would allow the bill to move to a final vote, will remain open “as long as it takes” so lawmakers can ask questions.
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House GOP bill teeters after four Republicans vote ‘no’
Right now, Republicans can afford to lose only three votes to keep the bill alive. But, four GOP members have voted “no.”
“I think they’re open for conversation,” Johnson said, referring to the four Republicans standing in the way. He added that he’s already spoken to three of them and is “trying to find the fourth one.”
One of the dissenters, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, cast his “no” vote and exited the chamber earlier in the evening.
“Everybody wants to deliver this agenda for the people, and we’re going to give them every opportunity to do that,” he told Fox News.
NBC News’ Melania Zanona noted the scramble to get Fitzpatrick back into the fold, on a X post, “Republicans are trying locate Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who delivered a surprising no vote on the mega bill rule. Likely to try to flip him.”
“I told a member I saw him bolt out of the chamber and leave the area,” she added.
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Still, Johnson told reporters, “I think they're open for conversation... Everybody wants to get to ‘yes,’ everybody wants to deliver this agenda for the people and we're going to give them every opportunity to do that.”.
