Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Punch Bull News Readback Podcast. I'm your host,

Congressional Reporter Max Cohen, and joining me today is our fellow congressional reporter

and House expert, Mika Solner. Mika, you're joining us, and we're going to talk all about

the one big, beautiful bill.

The reconciliation package was passed the House and passed the Senate just this week.

So, let's get into it.

Mika, tell us about how this bill passed.

Yeah, so this is just the same story that we've been seeing all of Congress, right?

So it was a lot of drama.

These House Freedom Caucus and House Conservatives said that they were not going to vote for this bill.

We saw House Republican moderate saying that, you know, they're not going to vote for this bill for other reasons.

And you know what? Only not going to vote for this bill for other reasons. And, you know what?

Only two Republicans ended up voting, no, Brian Fitzpatrick and Thomas Massey.

So, you know, I think it was a lot of drama, a lot of drawn-out days, but overall, it was the same outcome as always.

And that's the crux of your readback newsletter item, which of course is in everyone's inbox

this morning you can read.

It's all about the House Freedom Caucus and the role this group of far-right

conservatives plays in negotiations.

The question you asked, which I think is a pretty provocative one, but incredibly apt in this moment, is basically what is the point of the Freedom Caucus anymore?

Because during this entire bill process, the Freedom Caucus was sounding the alarm.

Right up until the vote, Chip Roy, Andy Harris, Ralph Norman, these conservative members

at HFC were saying, I can't support this.

...