Democrats are already vowing to make President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" a centerpiece of their strategy for taking back the House of Representatives in 2026. Why it matters: House Democrats' campaign arm is projecting confidence that Republicans in key swing districts will take a significant political hit from voting for the legislation.

GOP strategists seemed to understand the buzzkilling buzzsaw they were marching toward with a grim sense of inevitability. Even then, there was still no guarantee the House would accept the Senate’s rewrite of their work.

It was a matter of who would be the third "no" vote Republicans could lose and still pass the "big, beautiful bill." It came down to Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.