Congress has just passed President Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” While Washington Democrats continue to lie about what the bill does, let’s take a real look at what the legislation’s passage means.
This bill is aimed squarely at Main Street, not Wall Street. It makes the Trump tax cuts permanent and delivers the largest middle-class tax cut in American history. It will ensure that Americans can keep more of their hard-earned money — whether it’s from overtime on the factory floor, tips at the local diner or a second job to make ends meet.
When I spoke with Jeffersonville Police Chief Kenny Kavanaugh in my district, he told me how “no tax on overtime” helps officers provide for their families — especially those working long shifts and holidays to keep our communities safe. Our first responders deserve it. At The Chicken House in Sellersburg, workers told me what “no tax on tips” really means: more money in their pockets to feed their families and pay their bills. Indiana’s economy will grow, and families will feel relief.
Manufacturers across Southern Indiana — many of them family-run — will see immediate results, too. The bill is projected to create nearly 400,000 new jobs and unlock hundreds of billions in GDP growth. That’s not theoretical — that’s momentum we can build on.
As the Trump tax cuts approach expiration, nearly every household and small business in America faces the threat of a massive tax hike. Without action, the average taxpayer in my district will see a 26 percent tax increase. A family of four making $67,000 would owe $1,289 more to the IRS. Over 88,000 families would see their Child Tax Credit slashed in half. Nearly 95 percent of taxpayers would lose a significant portion of their standard deduction. That’s not just policy — it’s people’s rent, gas and savings for their children’s future.
For the 49,740 small businesses in my district, this bill is essential. Without it, they’ll face a punishing 43.4 percent tax rate when the Small Business Deduction expires — putting jobs and growth at risk.
But “The One Big Beautiful Bill” promises a change of course. It makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, eliminates federal taxes on tips and overtime, and expands tax relief for workers, families, seniors and small businesses. The bill doubles small business expensing and restores full, immediate expensing for equipment and research and development — allowing entrepreneurs to reinvest, hire more workers and boost wages. The “big beautiful bill” gets back to common sense, pro-growth policies that reward hard work and strengthen the economy from the bottom up.
While Democrats call this bill “reckless,” the real risk is in doing nothing — letting families shoulder higher taxes while Washington drags its feet. Over the last four years, inflation has gutted family budgets. Soaring interest rates are crushing homeownership. And red tape is strangling American innovation. The “big beautiful bill” revives the American Dream.
Families in Southern Indiana don’t want handouts — they want the freedom to work, provide and prosper. The bill gives them that chance. It’s pro-growth, pro-worker, pro-Main Street and pro-America. It’s time to get this bill across the finish line so the American people all across the country, just like those of us in southern Indiana, can get to work and Make America Great Again.
Erin Houchin represents Indiana’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves on the House Rules, Budget, and Energy and Commerce committees.
