Breaking down the politics, policy and North Carolina impact of Trump’s megabill
Welcome back to Under the Dome. It’s Monday — and that usually means you’d be hearing from Danielle Battaglia with the latest news about President Donald Trump.
But not today. I’m Luciana Perez Uribe, politics reporter here at The News & Observer, filling in while Danielle takes a well-deserved break.
It’s been busy.
On one hand, it was the Fourth of July — a chance for many of us to slow down, enjoy a day off on Friday, and fire up the grill with friends and family as the country celebrated Independence Day.
But amid the celebration, the news didn’t stop.
On the contrary, one of the most consequential pieces of legislation debated in Congress — named the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — passed the House on Thursday, meaning it has now cleared both chambers and is headed to Trump’s desk. The sweeping policy package includes tax cut extensions, steep Medicaid reductions, tax exemptions for overtime pay and tips, a higher debt limit, and much more.
Trump had pushed Congress to deliver the bill by July 4 — and they did.
Trump signed it into law during a ceremony on Independence Day.
The bill carries major implications nationwide and for North Carolina — not only politically, but also in terms of policy and its impact on people’s lives.
My colleagues and I have broken down much of that.
A look at the news
As I said, a lot has happened over the past few days — so here’s a quick look at some of the main developments:
- The House first passed its version of the megabill all the way back on May 22. The Senate made numerous changes before passing its own version on Tuesday, which went back to the House.
- Despite the compressed timeline and initial concerns from some House Republicans on some of the changes, the bill passed largely along party lines, with all Democrats opposing it and only two Republicans voting against it. No North Carolina House members broke from their party. Read my story here about what North Carolina congressional lawmakers said to explain their votes.
- That was a contrast from the Senate, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis broke with his party over the bill’s impacts on Medicaid and rural hospitals, becoming one of just three senators who did not vote for it on Tuesday. My colleague Korie Dean has more details on Tillis’s reasoning.
- After Tillis’ announcement that he would oppose the bill, Trump fired back on social media saying he would begin looking for candidates to primary Tillis in 2026. Just minutes before Trump’s post, Tillis had already told Trump to start looking for his replacement, according to a message obtained by Danielle and other news outlets. The next day, Tillis made it official: He wouldn’t seek reelection.
- Tillis’ decision shakes up the 2026 Senate race. The GOP holds only a slim majority, and his retirement gives Democrats a major opening. Our summer intern Ronni Butts reports that the race is now rated a toss-up by The Cook Political Report. She breaks down what that means — and what experts are saying.
- Korie and summer politics intern Sophia Bailly tell us who might run for Tillis’ seat now that he’s not seeking reelection. Read that here.
- On the policy side, I’ve got a story digging into Tillis’ concerns about the bill’s Medicaid cuts — and what the fallout could be for North Carolina. Among the possible effects: rolling back the state’s Medicaid expansion, which took effect at the end of 2023.
And that’s just a taste of what we’ve been covering.
Thanks for reading. Check back tomorrow for the Under the Dome podcast newsletter. And be sure to keep an eye on the Under the Dome politics section, where you’ll find all of our latest stories.
Don’t forget, we’d like to hear from you if Trump’s policies are having a personal impact on you. You can fill out the form we created to get in touch with our staff and tell us your personal stories.
And if you have any feedback or tips for this new edition of the newsletter feel free to reach out to Danielle Battaglia directly at dbattaglia@mcclatchydc.com.
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This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Breaking down the politics, policy and North Carolina impact of Trump’s megabill."
