Severe Weather Throws Wrinkle in 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Vote
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Severe weather including "torrential rainfall" and thunderstorms in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast has snarled travel Tuesday, prompting flight delays and cancellations for House lawmakers racing back to D.C. to vote on the massive and much-debated financial package dubbed the "big, beautiful bill" by President Donald Trump.
Newsweek reached out to the National Weather Service (NWS) via email Tuesday for comment.
Why It Matters
The legislative package has been promoted as a cornerstone of Trump's domestic agenda, seeking to ensure government continuity while broader debates over spending and executive authority continue.
In a closely divided House, even minor absenteeism could fundamentally alter the outcome, exerting immense pressure on lawmakers to be present regardless of personal travel obstacles.
On Tuesday after a marathon vote, the Senate narrowly passed the bill with a tiebreaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, sending it back to the House for final passage.
What To Know
As storms swept the regions, commercial airline cancellations climbed Tuesday into the evening.
Representative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, wrote on X, formerly Twitter Tuesday, "All flights to Washington, DC from Charleston tonight have been canceled due to weather."
She wrote in another post, "Both my flights to DC, one for tonight and one for early tomorrow morning have been canceled by the airline. *sigh* Scrambling to find a way to get to DC in time to vote for the Big Beautiful Bill. 🇺🇸"
Republican Congressman Russell Fry of South Carolina posted a video on X describing a similar snag: "I was supposed to be on a plane actually headed to Washington, D.C. tonight to vote on the one big, beautiful bill tomorrow in the House or this week, but flights up and down the East Coast are being cancelled."
Fry added that he was getting in the car to drive to the nation's capital, saying in part, "the moment is too important."
Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin shared a similar travel story on Tuesday on X, saying, "My flight to DC was canceled so I'm driving to Chicago to catch a 6AM flight because I refuse to miss voting NO on the Big Ugly Bill!"
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, on X said his flight was also canceled on Tuesday. He said he will drive to D.C. while hosting a virtual town hall from the car.
According to Flight Aware's misery map, the D.C. area experienced 95 delayed and 79 canceled flights as of 9:01 p.m. ET Tuesday.
Politico first reported the travel obstacles experienced by lawmakers.
A flight departure information board is shown on July 23 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by AARON SCHWARTZ/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
A flight departure information board is shown on July 23 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by AARON SCHWARTZ/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
What People Are Saying
NWS Baltimore-Washington posted to X on Tuesday: "A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 9 PM EDT for the District Of Columbia, DE, MD, NJ south-central/southeast PA, northern/central VA, eastern WV Panhandle, and adjacent coastal waters. The main hazard will be damaging wind. More info: http://spc.noaa.gov"
Trump, on Truth Social Tuesday after the Senate pushed the bill through: "Almost all of our Great Republicans in the United States Senate have passed our 'ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL.' It is no longer a 'House Bill' or a 'Senate Bill'. It is everyone's Bill. There is so much to be proud of, and EVERYONE got a major Policy WIN — But, the Biggest Winner of them all will be the American People, who will have Permanently Lower Taxes, Higher Wages and Take Home Pay, Secure Borders, and a Stronger and More Powerful Military. Additionally, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security Benefits are not being cut, but are being STRENGTHENED and PROTECTED from the Radical and Destructive Democrats by eliminating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse from those Programs."
Trump continued, "We can have all of this right now, but only if the House GOP UNITES, ignores its occasional 'GRANDSTANDERS' (You know who you are!), and does the right thing, which is sending this Bill to my desk. We are on schedule — Let's keep it going, and be done before you and your family go on a July 4th vacation. The American People need and deserve it. They sent us here to, GET IT DONE!"
"Our Country is going to explode with Massive Growth, even more than it already has since I was Re-Elected," the president said. "Between the Growth, this Bill, our Tariffs, and more, 'THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' sets the United States down a fiscal path by greatly reducing our Federal Deficit, and setting us on course for enormous Prosperity in the new and wonderful Golden Age of America. To my GOP friends in the House: Stay UNITED, have fun, and Vote 'YAY.' GOD BLESS YOU ALL!"
What Happens Next
Flight schedules and weather conditions for lawmakers' return to D.C. remain variable as of Tuesday evening as the House weighs its final vote on the legislation.
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