Op-Eds

Last year, two-thirds of Americans felt our country was on the wrong track. They called for a course correction from the Biden Administration’s harmful policies that raised prices, over-regulated our industries, and created the worst border crisis in American history. This Independence Day week, Republicans delivered for our communities, our families, and our future. We didn’t do this with empty promises or mere talking points, but with real legislation that ensures hardworking Utahns aren't left behind.

Among countless pro-growth and pro-America provisions, the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act follows through on our commitments to secure the border, strengthen our military, lower taxes for all Americans, and unleash American energy while reining in reckless federal spending and revitalizing our economy.

This legislation prevents the largest tax hike in history and delivers meaningful relief where families need it most. Without this legislation, families at every income level would experience major tax increases. Making permanent the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the most significant part of this bill and should be recognized as one of the greatest achievements to come out of the process. This will have significant positive impacts on individuals, families, and small businesses in Utah and across the country. We’re ensuring consistency and confidence in our tax code for all Americans.

We increased the Child Tax Credit to $2,200, indexed for inflation, which will significantly help lower and middle income families. Without the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, this credit would have dropped to $1,000 per child. We also cut taxes on tips and overtime pay. Whether you're a waitress working late nights on the weekends or an electrician pulling double shifts, this bill ensures more of your hard-earned money stays where it belongs—in your pocket to use in our communities. For a typical Utah family of four, these tax savings could add up to $14,200 in increased yearly take-home pay. This legislation also reinstates a provision allowing individuals who do not itemize their deductions to claim a charitable deduction. This benefits those who give to charitable causes, including tithes or religious contributions.

Along with tax relief, the bill reforms key federal programs to better help those for whom they were originally designed. The Medicaid reforms cut waste while preserving resources for the people it was intended to serve—pregnant women, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities—while encouraging able-bodied adults to reenter the workforce. Similarly, SNAP reforms ensure that benefits are allocated to American citizens and green card holders with work requirements that help transition people from welfare dependence to financial independence. We’re also requiring states to share more of the SNAP benefit costs, creating better accountability.

For rural Utah communities, this bill cuts through permitting delays and restarts oil, gas, and coal leases, boosting Utah's energy sector and creating thousands of jobs. Our farmers benefit too— we're keeping two million family farms intact by raising the death tax exemption while improving risk management tools and expanding crop insurance. These investments support the people who work hard to put quality food on our tables. We’re continuing to put America first by boosting immediate expensing for new manufacturing and production structures, which will enhance cost recovery for new investments in rural America.

When it comes to education, we were proud to support the first permanent pathway to universal school choice in our nation’s history, restoring power to parents, expanding opportunity to every zip code, and strengthening education freedom in states like Utah that are already leading the way.

This legislation also makes historic investments in border security, allocating $160 billion toward a comprehensive strategy to restore order at our southern border. This provides much-needed relief for local law enforcement in Utah, who have carried the weight of the previous administration's open border policies. In addition to securing our border, we’re also strengthening our military and supporting our service members and their families.

Finally, the One Big, Beautiful Bill reauthorizes the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act – RECA – for another two years after it expired last year. It compensates Utahns who were exposed to radiation following above-ground atomic testing at the Nevada Test Site. It also extends compensation to uranium miners and expands eligibility for downwinders across the state of Utah. This is a huge step towards making things right for Americans who were harmed when the government was actively testing nuclear weapons.

While we would have liked to see additional savings, this bill is a turning point in our fight to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington and puts hardworking Americans, small businesses, and families first.

In Utah, we believe in the value of hard work, raising strong families, and building communities that last. The One Big, Beautiful Bill supports those values and will make Utah and America stronger. This is about more than politics—it's about protecting the freedoms and futures of hardworking Americans. We still have much to do, but for Utah, this bill is worth celebrating.