NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
SUMMARY
The so-called "One Big, Beautiful Bill" overcame thin Republican majorities and weeks of tense negotiations, just meeting the president's self-imposed Independence Day 2025 deadline. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins takes us through the policy and politics of the GOP's signature bill.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who are some of the people that would be most impacted by the bill?
- What are some of the big picture goals of the "One Big, Beautiful Bill"?
- Where was the bill frozen because Republican opponents refused to let the bill advance?
- How did President Trump convince Republican holdouts to vote for the bill?
- Why will this bill shape the respective Democrat and Republican campaigns in the next political cycle?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
After watching this segment, what do you think will be the most significant impact of the One Big, Beautiful Bill?
Media literacy: What was your initial response to this news report? Had you heard about the One Big, Beautiful Bill before? If so, where, and how do you think that source of information shaped your understanding of the bill?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
- Research your own representative's support or opposition to the bill. Did they make any public statements about it? What input from the district did they seek?
- You can read or skim the full text of the bill here. What surprised you most that you hadn't heard about in news reports?
- To learn more about opposition to the bill and its political impact, read this article.
DAVENPORT, IOWA- JUNE 23: Debbie Dick of Muscatine, Iowa holds a tombstone outside the office of U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) as part of a mock funeral to protest against proposed Medicaid cuts on June 23, 2025 in Davenport, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images for MoveOn)
Written by Kevin Roodnauth, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern and senior at Amherst College, and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio.
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