'If You Can Keep It': The Math Behind The 'Big, Beautiful' Spending Bill

Published May 6, 2025 at 9:14 AM EDT

U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) listens as the House votes for Speaker of the House on the first day of the 119th Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building.

President Donald Trump wants Congress to put together a 'big, beautiful" bill that will extend tax cuts implemented during his first administration. But with less money coming in for the federal government, Congress will have to find ways to cut its own spending.

House Speaker Mike Johnson says that goal is $1.5 trillion.

One big sticking point on where to make cuts is Medicaid. Johnson has repeatedly claimed that Congress will not make cuts to Medicaid for anyone who is "duly owed." There are some representatives, however, with concerns.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently did the math. That $1.5 trillion goal isn't possible without cuts to Medicaid or Medicare (another program the administration vowed not to touch).

What can Congress keep in its budget if they want to also pass this mega-bill to cut taxes?

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