The Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed the Senate with a final vote of 51-50 on July 1, with a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President J.D. Vance. This bill was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4.
This week, four separate releases from Idaho’s national senators and representatives indicated support for Trump’s sweeping new policy bill.
This massive piece of legislation includes hundreds of provisions addressing multiple budget reconciliations and is advertised on the White House’s website as “the largest tax cut in history, [meaning] higher wages, higher take-home pay and much more.” However, the bill will also mean massive slashes for federally funded programs like Medicaid and SNAP, more commonly known as food stamps.
U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, released his statement on July 1. “The American people gave us a mandate — secure the border, make the Trump tax cuts permanent, dismantle the Green New Deal and address wasteful spending. While no bill is perfect, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill delivers on these priorities and provides working Americans with the largest tax cut in history,” he said. “Congress is not done tackling out-of-control spending. I remain committed to reining in the national debt and ending the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.”
Included with the release was a bulleted list of “key achievements” under this bill. Risch praised the bill for removing subsidies for renewable wind and solar energy projects; eliminating taxes on most firearms; directing taxpayer funding to finish the wall along the U.S. southern border and increasing immigration enforcement power; and “enhancing national security” through investments in projects like Golden Dome for America, a controversial missile defense system proposed by the Trump administration. The full statement can be found on his website.
U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, released a statement on July 2 expressing his hope that a provision in OBBBA may allow Idaho Downwinders to receive compensation under the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
“Many Idahoans have died or suffered as a result of cancer related to fallout from 1950s to 1960s Cold War-era above-ground nuclear weapons testing with no recompense,” Crapo said. “The Senate’s passage of language to include Idaho in the program marks one step closer to ensuring affected Idahoans will finally start to receive the compensation they rightfully deserve.”
On his website, Crapo is credited as one of the chief architects of OBBBA as the Senate Finance Committee Chairman, thus holding jurisdiction over tax policy.
Crapo went on to further signal his support, saying, “With this bill’s passage, the United States Senate is fulfilling President Trump’s promise to secure the border, fortify our national defense and unleash American energy. This legislation also prevents the biggest tax hike in U.S. history from ever happening, delivers additional tax relief to hardworking families and takes significant steps to get our fiscal house in order.” His statement may be read here.
On July 3, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, justified his vote of support for OBBBA in a statement. He described the bill as “the America-First policy agenda that Idahoans and Americans nationwide voted for in November” and expresses his satisfaction with the bill and his hand in it.
“I am especially pleased that the out-of-touch provision to sell off public lands was withdrawn before returning to the House,” Simpson said. “Land selloffs are not part of the Trump agenda, and I was proud to fight for that in the House. As we take time this week to celebrate our great country, Americans nationwide can take comfort in knowing that the One Big Beautiful Bill will create a safer and stronger America.” His full statement is available here.
Also on July 3, U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, shared a press release on his website. “This legislation delivers significant wins for hardworking families … It promotes economic growth by stopping a 22% tax hike … and it eliminates taxes on tips and overtime — a measure I introduced and have fought hard for,” he said. “Additionally, H.R.1 will provide law enforcement and military personnel with the resources to finish the border wall, secure our homeland, and strengthen our national defense.”
Provisions of the bill that Fulcher highlighted included lowering the cost of borrowing for farmers and increasing timber sales on federal lands. Fulcher had also previously introduced the KEEP Act, which aimed to remove taxes on overtime.
All four of Idaho’s Congressional representatives voted in favor of the bill, following most of the Republican party. Two Republican representatives and three senators broke from their party to vote against the bill. The OBBBA passed the Senate 51-50 and the House a second time 218-214.
Multiple polls, including those from the Pew Research Center, The Washington Post and FOX News, indicated that a majority of Americans opposed the bill.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill will increase the budget deficit by $2.8 trillion and cause 10.9 million people to lose health insurance coverage. One in six Idaho residents and 34% of all children in Idaho are covered by Medicaid, according to Families USA, and KFF estimated that 36,000 Idahoans will lose health insurance coverage as a result of the bill.
Julia Kolman can be reached at [email protected].