[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 111 (Friday, June 27, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S3580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, last November, the American people elected 
President Trump and a Republican Congress with a clear mandate, and 
since taking control in Washington this year, we have been working to 
deliver on our promise of a safer, stronger, and more prosperous 
America.
  Now we have the opportunity to pass a bill that advances all of these 
priorities and sets our country up for better days ahead. We have 
worked hard on this, and now it is time to deliver.
  The centerpiece of our bill is permanent tax relief for the American 
people. The 2017 Republican-led tax cuts lowered rates for every income 
bracket. We doubled the child tax credit and nearly doubled the 
standard deduction. But those policies will expire at the end of the 
year without action from Congress, which means a typical family would 
be hit with a $1,700 tax hike next year. In my State of South Dakota, 
South Dakotans would see their taxes go up on average $2,500. We are 
determined not to let that happen--not next year, not ever. Our bill 
makes the 2017 lower tax rates permanent. It raises the child tax 
credit to $2,200 per child and links it to inflation permanently, and 
it maintains the higher standard deduction that 90 percent of taxpayers 
use.
  And we are not stopping there. Seniors will have an even higher 
standard deduction. Millions of tipped workers will benefit from no tax 
on tips, and millions of hourly workers will be able to keep more of 
their overtime pay with no tax on overtime.
  Passing this bill means smaller tax bills and bigger paychecks for 
the American people--permanently.
  It will also help get our economy firing on all cylinders again. In 
2017, we boosted our economy by lifting the tax burden on American 
businesses. We lowered tax rates for the owners of small and medium-
sized businesses, farms, and ranches. We made it easier for them to 
recover the cost of investing in their businesses, which, in turn, 
freed up cash for them to invest in their operations and their workers.
  These and other major reforms helped kick-start our economy, and now 
we have the opportunity to make all of the pro-growth reforms from 2017 
permanent and go even further.
  Our bill makes the small business deduction permanent. Full expensing 
for new equipment and domestic R&D will be permanent. Full expensing 
for new factories and factory improvements will generate growth and job 
creation and encourage more goods to be made in America.
  A higher death tax threshold that is linked to inflation will spare 
countless family farms, ranches, and small businesses from a 
potentially devastating tax and the cost of burdensome planning, and 
the next generation will be able to access new investment accounts when 
they reach adulthood to use for education, to start a business, to buy 
their first home--essentially, to get a running start on the American 
dream. All of this means more money in Americans' pockets, more 
opportunity, and greater prosperity.
  A bill to make America stronger and more prosperous would be 
incomplete if it didn't make America's farmers and ranchers stronger. 
Agriculture producers will, of course, benefit from permanent tax 
relief, but this bill also directly addresses the challenges producers 
have faced these past few years. It increases reference prices for 
every covered commodity; it enhances crop insurance coverage and 
affordability, including for farmers just starting out; and it supports 
risk management, disaster assistance, and conservation programs that 
producers depend on.
  The last few years have been some of the toughest in recent memory 
for American agriculture, and I am proud that this bill addresses these 
issues head-on. I can assure America's farmers and ranchers that their 
priorities will continue to be a priority here in Washington.
  This bill is also about a stronger America, and it makes a 
generational investment in our national security--all of our national 
security. That starts with securing our borders. The Trump 
administration has already done incredible work in stemming the flow of 
illegal immigrants and deporting criminals who had taken up residence 
in our country, but there is more work to be done, and law enforcement 
needs more resources to do it. Our bill provides those resources: the 
technology and manpower to stop illegal immigrants and illegal drugs at 
the border; an increased capacity to deport dangerous individuals from 
our country; and, yes, finally finishing the wall. As I said, the 
administration has made great progress already, and I am eager to get 
these resources into the hands of the men and women on the frontlines 
to solidify those gains.
  We are also making a major investment in strengthening our military. 
Recent events have only reinforced the imperative of military 
readiness. But in a number of instances, we have let our military 
strength slip, and adversaries like China have begun to outpace us in 
key capabilities. Our bill will help reverse that trend. It invests in 
shipbuilding, supports a new Golden Dome for missile defense, 
revitalizes the defense manufacturing capacity in America, and invests 
in the warfighting technologies of tomorrow. With this bill, we can 
help ensure that our men and women in uniform have what they need to 
deter and defeat any threat.
  We are safeguarding our national security from every angle, which 
means addressing energy security. Energy security might not get the 
same attention as border security or national defense, but it is a big 
part of keeping America strong and secure. Relying on energy from 
hostile nations or unstable parts of the world can be a dangerous 
proposition, and maintaining energy independence is key to keeping a 
country secure.
  We are fortunate to have an abundance of natural resources in this 
country, and our bill makes sure that the American people benefit from 
those resources by freeing them up for responsible domestic production 
for a secure, stable, and affordable supply of energy.
  There is a lot more I could say about this bill, but before I close, 
I just want to talk about how this bill delivers on Republicans' 
promise to rein in the size of government. It delivers savings to the 
American people by reining in waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal 
programs. It includes the largest spending cut in American history as 
well as commonsense, good-government reforms that haven't been 
attempted in Washington, DC, in decades. With more revenue--revenue we 
get by growing the economy, not by raising taxes--this bill will 
actually help reduce the deficit by as much as $6 trillion.
  This bill delivers on the mandate the American people gave 
Republicans last year: a stronger America, a safer America, and a more 
prosperous America. It is right around the corner.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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