WASHINGTON D.C. – House Republicans on Thursday advanced a comprehensive legislative package, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” that combines tax breaks, spending cuts, border security funding, and other key priorities championed by President Donald Trump. The more than 1,000-page bill is now headed to the Senate for further consideration.
The package includes provisions to make permanent individual and business tax cuts from Trump’s 2017 term, alongside new promises like not taxing tips and overtime. It proposes accelerating the phase-out of clean energy tax credits to offset some revenue loss. The bill temporarily boosts the standard deduction and the child tax credit, and raises the estate tax exemption. A significant revision increased the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to $40,000 to garner centrist support.
On the spending front, the legislation aims for substantial reductions in food assistance (SNAP) and Medicaid. It expands work requirements for able-bodied adults in both programs, with new “community engagement requirements” for Medicaid recipients. The Congressional Budget Office estimates these changes could lead to 8.6 million fewer people with health care coverage over a decade.
Other notable inclusions are the elimination of a $200 tax on gun silencers, a prohibition on Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood, and the creation of “Trump” savings accounts for newborns, with a $1,000 federal contribution.
Border security is a significant focus, with $46.5 billion allocated to revive Trump’s border wall construction, and significant funds for hiring more Border Patrol and ICE agents. The bill also proposes a $1,000 asylum fee for migrants, a measure rarely seen globally.
Defense spending would increase substantially, including $25 billion for Trump’s “Golden Dome for America” missile defense shield and funds to expand the naval fleet.
Education reforms are also part of the package, with a wholesale revamping of student loan repayment plans and a tax increase on some university endowments. Additionally, the bill facilitates increased drilling, mining, and logging on public lands by cutting royalty rates and speeding up government approvals.
