> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://utahpolitics.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # House GOP passes Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' - URL: https://utahpolitics.news/house-gop-passes-trumps-big-beautiful-bill/ - Published: 2025-05-22T13:59:40.000Z - Updated: 2025-07-09T15:49:06.000Z - Author: Bryan Schott - Tags: Morning Memo ## Thursday, May 22, 2025 ## ⏰ Tick Tock 82 days to Utah's 2025 municipal primary elections (8/12/2025) 166 days until Election Day (11/4/2025) 530 days until the 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026) Thank you for being one of more than 1,200 people supporting Utah Political Watch with your free subscription. I'm so thankful to have you as a reader! "Morning News Fix" is a subscriber-exclusive newsletter curating the morning's top news headlines to help you get informed before starting your day. 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[Upgrade to paid ](https://utahpolitics.news/membership/) ## 👀 Here's what you need to know for Thursday morning: ### UTAH AND THE WEST Utah's GOP members of Congress duck questions on $4 trillion deficit bomb. \[[Utah Political Watch](https://utahpolitics.news/utahs-gop-members-of-congress-duck-questions-on-4-trillion-deficit-bomb/)\] Republicans remove language in Trump budget bill to sell public lands in Utah. \[[Deseret News](https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/05/21/republicans-wont-sell-utah-public-lands/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Farmington man arrested on stalking charge over Salt Lake mayor's proposed city flags. \[[KUTV](https://kutv.com/news/local/farmington-man-arrested-on-stalking-charge-over-salt-lake-mayors-proposed-city-flags?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Is Mike Lee the establishment now? Here's why some Lyman Republicans think so. \[[Deseret News](https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/05/21/utah-gop-delegates-revolt-against-senator-mike-lee-after-phil-lyman-loses-race-for-gop-chair/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Utah lawmakers' own study found gender-affirming care benefits trans youth. Will they lift the treatment ban? \[[Salt Lake Tribune](https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/05/22/utah-lawmakers-own-study-found/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Utah Legislature to consider extending school lunch breaks. \[[Utah News Dispatch](https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/05/21/utah-legislature-to-consider-extending-school-lunch-breaks/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Utah Senate unanimously approves Cox's pick to head a state department – without asking about his checkered past. \[[Salt Lake Tribune](https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2025/05/22/kelly-pehrson-coxs-pick-run-utah/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Buoys, toilets, fees – Lake Powell boaters frustrated with National Park Service. \[[Fox 13](https://www.fox13now.com/news/fox-13-investigates/buoys-toilets-fees-lake-powell-boaters-frustrated-with-national-park-service?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Utah commission chairman defends approval of Rocky Mountain Power 4.7% rate increase. \[[KSL](https://www.ksl.com/article/51317193/utah-commission-chairman-defends-approval-of-rocky-mountain-power-47-rate-increase?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Utah's new state superintendent was just selected. Here's what we know. \[[Salt Lake Tribune](https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2025/05/21/utahs-new-state-superintendent/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Shifting foreign aid from taxpayers to tithe payers? Senator suggests LDS Church, other groups can help fill void. \[[Salt Lake Tribune](https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/05/21/taxpayers-tithe-payers-lds-church/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] "Mind-boggling" amounts of fentanyl in Utah comes from the southern border, A.G. Derek Brown says. \[[Salt Lake Tribune](https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/05/21/utah-ag-derek-brown-praises/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] ### NATIONAL The Republican-led House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" by a single vote on Thursday morning. Here's what's in it. \[[NPR](https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5406392/trump-republicans-tax-bill-reconciliation-medicaid?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] - The GOP megabill approved by the House on Thursday cuts SNAP – food stamps – by 30%, which is the biggest cut in the program's history. \[[CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/21/snap-benefits-food-stamps-face-cuts-under-gop-tax-bill.html?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] - The Republican spending bill adds to the nation's $36 trillion debt load, which has triggered a negative reaction in the bond market. \[[CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/21/republican-spending-bill-driving-up-yields-and-creating-a-major-headache.html?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] - The GOP budget bill will trigger more than $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare. \[[Press release](https://democrats-budget.house.gov/news/press-releases/cbo-confirms-gop-budget-bill-triggers-medicare-cuts?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] - Almost five full pages of changes to the bill made by Republicans were nothing but striking out the word "MAGA" and replacing it with "Trump." \[[X](https://x.com/jamiedupree/status/1925356481941049576?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] The Pentagon took possession of a Qatari luxury jet for President Trump to use as Air Force One. \[[Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/05/21/qatar-plane-air-force-one/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy were shot and killed Wednesday evening. The suspect allegedly yelled, "Free Palestine" after he was arrested. \[[Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/israel-embassy-jewish-museum-shooting-10307b3b1a2a337e76730736b12ebbcb?taid=682edfbdf37255000191e047&ref=utahpolitics.news)\] ### INTERNATIONAL President Trump privately told European leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not ready to end the war in Ukraine becuase he thinks he's winning. \[[Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/trump-putin-call-russia-ukraine-83a6ef59?mod=mhp&ref=utahpolitics.news)\] President Trump made several false claims about so-called "white genocide" – the alleged persecution of South Africa's white minority – during an Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. \[[Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-makes-false-claims-white-genocide-south-africa-during-ramaphosa-meeting-2025-05-21/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] - During the meeting, Trump played a social media video he claimed showed the "burial sites" of "over 1,000" white farmers in South Africa. That wasn't true. \[[New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/us/politics/trump-south-africa-president-white-farmers-video.html?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] President Trump's "gold card" program allowing people to buy permanent U.S. residency for $5 million will launch within a week. \[[Axios](https://www.axios.com/2025/05/21/trump-gold-card-lutnick?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] ### ECONOMY Bitcoin rose to a new all-time high on Wednesday, reaching $108,955.10\. \[[CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/21/crypto-market-today.html?ref=utahpolitics.news)\] Walmart plans to cut around 1,500 corporate jobs in a cost-cutting restructuring move. \[[Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/walmart-layoffs-reorganization-2abd46eb?mod=hp%5Flead%5Fpos5&ref=utahpolitics.news)\] ### HEALTH A measles outbreak in El Paso, Texas is mostly affecting adults, not school children. \[[Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/21/texas-el-paso-measles/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]