In a dramatic turn of events, Speaker Mike Johnson is on the brink of securing a monumental legislative victory as he prepares to deliver President Donald Trump's much-anticipated megabill. The final vote, set for the early hours of the morning around 6 a.m., follows a tense all-night session that almost saw the bill derailed by hard-right holdouts.

The legislative drama unfolded in earnest late Wednesday when it seemed the bill would falter. However, after a grueling session that lasted until approximately 3:30 a.m., Republican leaders managed to advance the bill. This came after an intensive effort to sway opposition, keeping the procedural vote open for nearly six hours and flipping 12 critical votes. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick stood out as the lone Republican dissenting in the end.

The atmosphere reached a fever pitch around 2 a.m. when Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise signaled a breakthrough, confidently returning to the House floor with enough votes in hand. Shortly after, Johnson was observed in a mix of conversation, laughter, and what seemed to be prayer with some previously unconvinced members of the House Freedom Caucus.

According to Meredith Lee Hill, the breakthrough with the holdouts involved securing commitments from the White House on several pivotal issues, particularly concerning the implementation of the megabill. Despite the serious undertones of the discussions, insiders described the overnight talks as largely a chance for the hard-liners to air grievances and align priorities with the administration.

Earlier on Wednesday, the holdouts had been exploring the potential for future legislative actions, including a second reconciliation package, as well as possible executive moves to enhance aspects of the bill that they felt were lacking.

Adding to the pressure, several influential figures from MAGA-world, including Trump's longtime aide Jason Miller and his 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita, took to social media to admonish the holdouts. Trump himself intensified the pressure through a series of pointed messages, culminating in a frustrated post at 12:45 a.m. as the bill's fate hung in the balance.

Despite the night's tumult, the prevailing sentiment among House Republicans is one of cautious optimism, with expectations that the bill will pass later this morning. An exhausted but determined Johnson reflected on the chaos, stating around 1:30 a.m., "I do so deeply desire to have just [a] normal Congress, but it doesn't happen anymore. I don't want to make history, but we're forced into these situations."

What else we're watching:

— New E&C Subcommittee Chair: Rep. Morgan Griffith is poised to be announced today as the next chair of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, according to insider sources.

— Race for DHS Chair: Following Rep. Mark Green's retirement, Rep. Carlos Gimenez has officially thrown his hat into the ring to lead the House Homeland Security Committee, signaling his ambitions in a recent letter to the GOP Steering Committee.

*Contributors to this report include David Lim, Bethany Irvine, and Ali Bianco.*