Trump’s “Big Beautiful”Tax Advances Amid Debt Concerns and Democratic Opposition

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” on May 22, 2025, by a narrow margin of 215-214.

The comprehensive package aims to extend and expand upon the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act while introducing significant changes to federal spending and social programs.

The legislation seeks to make the individual income and estate tax cuts enacted in 2017 permanent. It also introduces new tax exemptions, including eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay and specific auto loan interest. The standard deduction would be temporarily increased to $1,000 for individual filers and $2,000 for joint filers, while the child tax credit would rise by $500 to $2,500 through 2028.

Additionally, the bill proposes raising the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction from $10,000 to $40,000 for households earning up to $500,000, a move aimed at appeasing lawmakers from high-tax states.

The bill includes significant spending cuts to offset the projected $3.8 trillion cost over the next decade. It also imposes stricter work requirements for Medicaid recipients and reduces funding for the program. The changes will affect millions of low-income Americans. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would also see tightened eligibility criteria and funding reductions.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would add approximately $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) lauded the bill as “once-in-a-generation legislation,” highlighting its potential to boost economic growth and provide tax relief to American families.

President Trump echoed this sentiment on social media, “This is arguably the most significant piece of legislation that will ever be signed in the history of our country!”.

Democrats uniformly opposed the bill, criticizing it for favoring the wealthy and corporations while cutting essential services for vulnerable populations. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) warned that the legislation would “hurt children, women, and older Americans who rely on Medicaid for nursing home care and home care.”

“This is what Republicans are fighting for—lining the pockets of their billionaire donors while children go hungry and families get kicked off their health care,” said Representative Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia).

The bill now moves to the Senate.