[Pages H3627-H3628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1650
                  BENEFITS OF ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL

  (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Kennedy 
of Utah was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority 
leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KENNEDY of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special 
Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Baird), my distinguished colleague.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, on July Fourth, President Trump signed the One Big 
Beautiful Bill Act into law. This historic legislation delivered the 
largest tax cuts to working-and middle-class Americans in U.S. history 
and will revitalize rural America.
  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made permanent the 199A small business 
tax credit, providing certainty to small businesses and ensuring Main 
Street can thrive.
  This legislation also saves 2 million family farms, including over 
6,800 family farms in my district, from facing a death tax increase. 
This will protect the generational transfer of family farms.
  This bill also cuts down on the waste, fraud, and abuse in our 
Federal agencies that have made it harder and more expensive for our 
American people.
  This bill is a win for our farmers, small businesses, and Americans 
in every income bracket.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Utah. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize some of 
the impacts the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will have on my State.
  By passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the House Republican 
majority kept its promise to preserve the 2017 tax cuts and provided 
further relief for American families.
  The White House's Council of Economic Advisers estimates the bill 
will raise Utah wages between $4,300 and $7,700 over the next 4 years, 
putting more money in the pockets of our hardworking Americans. Typical 
families with two children can also expect to see higher take-home pay 
in the range of $7,900 to $11,400.
  Utah is one of the fastest-growing States in the Nation and has the 
highest average household size. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act 
increases the child tax credit to $2,200, which will help our Utah 
families as they continue to grow. Without the bill's passage, the 
child tax credit would have dropped to just $1,000 per child. I am glad 
this bill invests in the future of our families, not just in Utah but 
all over the country.
  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act also helps hardworking Americans by 
cutting taxes on overtime pay. Around 22 percent of all employees in 
Utah regularly work overtime and could benefit from this tax break.
  The bill also cuts taxes on tips. Whether you are a waitress earning 
tips or a nurse working overtime, this legislation will make sure that 
your hard-earned money stays where it belongs: in your pocket.
  The legislation also benefits those who give to charitable causes, 
including tithes or religious contributions, allowing individuals who 
do not itemize their deductions to claim charitable deductions.
  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers historic tax relief for 
seniors. This legislation ensures that nearly 90 percent of Social 
Security beneficiaries will no longer pay Federal income taxes on their 
benefits.
  In Utah alone, around 400,000 seniors could benefit from the no taxes 
on Social Security provision of this bill. Our seniors have spent their 
lifetimes contributing to our Nation's economy, and House Republicans 
are glad to provide them relief through this bill.
  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will also help Utahns in ways beyond 
tax credits. It will help rural Utah by boosting Utah's energy sector 
due to provisions slashing the bureaucratic red tape associated with 
permitting delays and by restarting oil, gas, and coal leases. This 
will create thousands of jobs in Utah.
  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act also helps Utahns by reauthorizing the 
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, also known as RECA, for another 2 
years following its expiration last year. RECA authorization will 
compensate Utahns who were exposed to radiation after the aboveground 
atomic testing

[[Page H3628]]

at the Nevada Test Site. It will also extend compensation to uranium 
miners and expand eligibility for downwinders across the State of Utah. 
This will help relieve burdens for Utahns who were harmed during active 
nuclear weapons testing.
  The bill will provide funding for technological advancement for our 
military and enhance the quality of life for our military personnel by 
allocating up to $7.4 billion in benefits for servicemembers across the 
country.
  Under this bill, the budget will provide for restoration and 
renovation of barracks, more funding for the Defense Health Program, 
aid to military families by adding to the childcare fee assistance, and 
bonuses for members of the military.
  This policy reflects our commitment to honoring the sacrifices of our 
military by investing directly in servicemembers and the infrastructure 
that supports their well-being. It demonstrates our commitment to 
putting America first by ensuring our servicemen and -women in Utah and 
across the world receive the care and support they deserve.
  This legislation is designed to put hardworking Americans, families, 
and small businesses first, including my constituents in Utah's Third 
District. By passing this bill, Republicans have delivered on the 
promises we made to the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. 
Fedorchak), my distinguished colleague.
  Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Kennedy for 
yielding and for leading this important Special Order tonight to talk 
about all the wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight an important promise President 
Trump made to the American people that the one big, beautiful bill 
fulfills.
  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers a long list of wins for 
families, seniors, small businesses, farmers, energy producers, and our 
military. It prevents the largest tax increase in U.S. history, putting 
$4.5 trillion in Americans' pockets instead of in the government's 
coffers. It delivers permanent tax relief, begins to rein in 
Washington's out-of-control spending, makes historic investments in 
border security and national defense, and restores the kind of 
commonsense priorities people in my State of North Dakota live by every 
single day.
  There are so many wins in this bill that we need to break them apart 
and highlight them separately.
  Today, I will focus on a provision that many think is too good to be 
true. In fact, in talking to people, they think, ``How can this 
actually happen?'' but it will, and that is no tax on tips and 
overtime.
  During my time back home recently, I visited with folks across North 
Dakota, including those working in construction, law enforcement, and 
service industries. This bill is great news for them and the hundreds 
of professions that regularly put in overtime to get the job done.
  In fact, around 30 percent of all employees in North Dakota regularly 
work overtime and could benefit from the no tax on overtime provision 
in this bill.
  According to the Council of Economic Advisers, an even larger 65 
percent of workers in North Dakota are in occupations that are likely 
eligible for overtime and could also benefit.
  We cut taxes on up to $12,500 of overtime pay for more than 80 
million hourly workers. This is estimated to increase yearly take-home 
pay by more than $1,400.
  The bill also eliminates Federal taxes on up to $25,000 of tips for 
America's 4 million tipped workers. As a former waitress, I know how 
valuable this provision would be. This applies to all tips, whether 
they are tips that are cash or on credit. All tips qualify for the no 
tax on tips. This is estimated to boost incomes by an average of $1,300 
per year.
  With these policies, we are rewarding everyday Americans' hard work, 
and we are not waiting. These provisions are retroactive, meaning that 
people will see the benefits of no taxes on tips and overtime this 
year, even for hours worked prior to this bill passing.
  I was very proud to join my colleagues in delivering on this 
commitment to the American people, and I can't wait to see how it 
benefits them all.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.

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