America First Standard #11: the Big Beautiful Bill PASSES
Count me a bit surprised, but the Congressional Republicans did it. Yesterday, the US House of Representatives voted to pass the Senate’s amended version of President Trump’s landmark “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA). The President previously requested Republican Congressional leaders to have a final version of the bill on his desk by July 4th—before Congress’s month-long recess before August. That deadline was met, and President Trump will sign this bill later today.
In early 2025, the Trump team and Republican Congressional leaders decided to focus on using the US Congress’s budget reconciliation process as a way to pass President Trump’s political agenda (primarily tax cuts and immigration enforcement) into a single omnibus spending bill. Utilizing the Congress’s single, annual budget reconciliation bill would allow Republicans Congressional leaders to overcome the Senate’s 60 vote filibuster rule. In effect, the Senate filibuster made passing multiple bills this year concerning tax cuts, border enforcement, and welfare requirements all but impossible considering Republicans only hold 53 Senate seats in this current session of Congress.
After months and weeks of negotiations, the US House of Representatives barely passed its initial version of the OBBBA in late May by a 215-214 vote margin. Then earlier this week, the US Senate passed an amended version of the OBBBA in a 51-50 vote—with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote.
After months of negotiating and deal-making, the US House passed the Senate’s version of the Trump-approved $3.3 Trillion budget reconciliation bill in a close 218-214 vote yesterday. Heading into yesterday’s landmark vote, House Minority leader and Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries gave a record eight-hour filibuster speech that delayed a vote on this budget reconciliation bill. This grandstanding nearly derailed the passing of this bill, but Congressional Republicans rallied to give the American people much-needed tax relief and immigration enforcement.
The controversial legislation has numerous advocate and opponents on all sides of the political spectrum, and this mega-bill fulfills many of President Trump’s campaign promises from last year.
For today’s article, I wanted to provide a balanced “America First” analysis of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”. Without further ado, let’s look at the positive and negative aspects of this legislation:
The Good
-Permanently extending tax cuts from the 2017 TCJA
-Pro-family Tax Cuts: a “$1,000 Trump account” for newborn children and a permanent $2,200 child tax credit
-Pro-worker Tax Cuts: no federal income taxes on overtime work and tips (with income limits)
–Massive Funding for a Border Wall, ICE, and Mass Deportations ($100 Billion+)
–Enhanced work requirements for welfare beneficiaries (Medicaid and SNAP)
–Caps on Student Loan Borrowing
–Ending electric vehicle tax credits
The Bad
-Massive Increases to the US Federal Government’s Deficit and Debt Ceiling
-Special carveouts for senior citizens–a higher standard deductions
-Massive increase to the SALT deductions—which almost exclusively benefits people in high-tax, Democratic jurisdictions
One Major Concern
The biggest concern that I have surrounding the OBBBA is the deal-making surrounding illegal immigrant workers. After the passing of the OBBBA, President Trump gave a speech in Iowa to kickoff our nation’s year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
In this speech, President Trump made an indefensible comment in support of illegal aliens in the farming and hotel industries. According to reports, Chief of Staff Susie Wilies and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have apparently encouraged President Trump to support giving amnesty to illegal alien farm workers and hotel workers.
Here is a transcript of this concerning excerpt of Trump’s speech:
“We’re working on legislation right now. Susie, right? We’re working on legislation right now where farmers— look they know better. They work with them for years. You had cases where, not here, but just even over the years, where people have worked for a farm, on a farm, for 14, 15 years, and they get thrown out pretty viciously, and we can’t do it. We’ve got to work with the farmers and people that have hotels and leisure properties too.
We’re going to work with them, and we’re going to work very strong and smart, and we’re going to put you in charge. We’re going to make you responsible. And I think that that’s going to make a lot of people happy. Now, serious, radical right People, who I also happen to like a lot, they may not be quite as happy, but they’ll understand. Wont they? Do you think so? Madam Secretary, look at you with a white hat on. Do you think they’ll understand that? You’re the one that brought this whole situation up …”
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” certainly has some major positive developments related to tax relief for American citizens and increased funding for immigration security. That being said, the OBBBA will likely add additional strain to our nation’s heavy debt load and may led to unnecessary amnesty/carveouts for illegal alien farm and hotel workers.
Only time will tell if the OBBBA is a net benefit to the people of the United States—especially when it comes to fixing mass immigration. But, the legislation will at least provide the building blocks to protect American sovereignty, stop illegal immigration, and fix America’s demographic winter. Let’s hope that this bill is the “America First” victory that our nation desperately needs,
