Rep Thomas Massie of Kentucky, backed by Elon Musk, admitted that he has ‘enough’ votes to block President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act in its final House vote, NOTUS reporter Reese Gorman reported on Wednesday, citing the congressman. The 54-year-old is said to have secured at least 10 House Republican votes. This comes after the Senate passed the bill earlier this week.
According to Gorman, Rep Massie ‘enthusiastically’ said he has a ‘vote bloc of 10’ Republican members who will vote against the tax and spending bill. Former Trump adviser, Elon Musk, has publicly supported the Kentucky Republican, calling the bill a ‘debt bomb’ and vowing to fund primary challenges against Republicans who back it, while endorsing Massie’s re-election despite Trump’s threats.
The House GOP holds a 218-217 majority (assuming full attendance), meaning four defections could sink the bill. Massie’s claim of 10 votes suggests a significant rebellion, though no confirmed list of defectors exists.
A procedural vote on the House floor is taking place on Wednesday. At the time of writing this story, the amendment to rule from Republican Rep Virginia Foxx had 211 yes votes from Republicans and 212 no votes from Republicans, with nine ‘no votes’ from Republican members.
Earlier, all but five House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), John James (R-MI), and Chip Roy (R-TX), who flipped to ‘yes’ after revisions. Roy and Ralph Norman (R-SC) initially opposed a procedural vote but supported final passage after Medicaid work requirement changes.
All House Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), plus Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH), who cited deficit concerns. Massie called it a ‘debt bomb ticking’, and Davidson criticized future spending cut promises.
Potential defectors for second vote
Massie’s claimed 10 votes remain unconfirmed, but likely include:
Thomas Massie (R-KY), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Andy Harris (R-MD), Chip Roy (R-TX) and Ralph Norman (R-SC). We do not have any confirmations yet.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, raises the SALT cap to $40,000, and funds $175 billion for border security and mass deportations. It cuts $700 billion from Medicaid and SNAP, adding $3.3–$4 trillion to the deficit The Senate’s 51-49 vote (with JD Vance breaking a tie) included Medicaid adjustments, but fiscal conservatives like Massie remain unsatisfied.
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