SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says the so-called ‘big beautiful bill’ that was signed into law last week by President Trump was by far the most complex and hardest piece of legislation he’s ever dealt with during all of his time in public office.
“First off, it’ll avoid a $2,500 tax increase in South Dakota families at the end of the year,” Thune said.
Thune says the big beautiful bill extends the Trump-era tax breaks for working families; plus no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and reduces taxes on social security recipients.
He also says small businesses will benefit, too.
“There are about 100,000 small businesses in South Dakota that would have seen their tax rate that would have seen their tax rate go up to 40% if we hadn’t acted,” Thune said.
The bill also modernizes our military, strengthens our southern border and adds more ICE agents, Thune said.
When it comes to cuts to Medicaid, it’s estimated nearly 12 million people will be impacted. But Thune says this bill will kick people off Medicaid who shouldn’t be on it.
“Medicaid spending will continue to go up, just not like this, as it has in the past and in most cases it will be because there were people on the program who shouldn’t have been on the program; illegal immigrants, people who aren’t eligible, and people who should be working,” Thune said.
Thune says the same goes for cutting SNAP benefits.
“One of the changes we are making in SNAP, like in Medicaid is, if you’re going to benefit from this program there is some expectations; that you would attempt to find a job or volunteer in your community or go back to school or do something that will enable you to be able to at some point be able to support yourself,” Thune said.
Thune says the bill, which the Senate Finance Committee started working on last summer, is unprecedented.
“Honestly as hard as it is, it’s just overdue, we just can’t keep on the path we are on or this country is headed for a really bad train wreck,” Thune said.
The bill also expands the child tax credit from $2,000 per child to $2,200.
