Trump Signs ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ as Congress Cedes Ground to Expanding Presidential Power

In a symbolic display of cooperation — and shifting power — President Donald Trump accepted a ceremonial gavel from House Speaker Mike Johnson during a Fourth of July signing ceremony, marking the passage of the administration’s sweeping tax and spending bill.

“This is the gavel used to enact the ‘big, beautiful bill,’” Johnson said at the White House event, handing the gavel to Trump. The president, seated at a desk on the South Lawn, smiled and gave it a few celebratory taps, drawing applause from Republican lawmakers in attendance.

The moment highlighted more than just the passage of major legislation. It underscored the growing deference of the legislative branch to the executive under Trump’s renewed presidency — a trend that has alarmed some lawmakers and constitutional scholars alike.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has wielded significant influence over Congress, with Republican lawmakers fast-tracking his policy agenda. In recent weeks, they rushed to deliver the tax-and-spending bill by Trump’s self-imposed Independence Day deadline, confirmed controversial Cabinet picks, and launched investigations into political rivals at the president’s request.

Meanwhile, lawmakers stalled on bipartisan legislation to impose harsher sanctions on Russia — a congressional priority — after Trump intervened to give President Vladimir Putin a 50-day window to negotiate peace in Ukraine.

This past week, Congress also granted Trump’s request to rescind $9 billion in previously approved funding, including money for public broadcasting and international aid — a rare move that tested the legislature’s power over the federal purse.

Not all Republicans are on board. “We’re lawmakers. We should be legislating,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who opposed the cuts. “What we’re getting now is direction from the White House. I don’t accept that.”

The tension echoes Trump’s first term, when GOP dissent was rare and often costly. Prominent critics like former Rep. Liz Cheney and Sen. Mitt Romney have since exited Congress. Others, like Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who opposed the cuts over their impact on hospitals, announced they will not seek reelection after facing backlash from Trump.

Still, the current crop of Republican leaders — including Speaker Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune — have largely embraced Trump’s leadership style. Johnson has leaned on Trump to break legislative logjams, even joining an Oval Office meeting by phone to help resolve a dispute over crypto regulation.

Critics warn this growing imbalance risks weakening Congress’s constitutional role. “The genius of our Constitution is the separation of powers,” said former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “That Republicans would melt the power of the speakership to cater to the executive is alarming.”

With the judiciary increasingly left to check executive action, Democrats and a handful of Republicans are questioning whether Congress can reclaim its role as a coequal branch — or if Trump’s dominance has reshaped Washington for good.