“The Big, Beautiful Bill”: Senator Lankford Details Ambitious Legislation Aimed at Tax Relief, Border Security, and Fiscal Responsibility
As the Fourth of July deadline approaches, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) is deeply engaged in the high-stakes negotiations surrounding what he refers to as “the one big beautiful bill.” This comprehensive legislative package, which has been months in the making, aims to prevent a massive tax increase for Americans, implement targeted tax changes, reduce the national deficit, modernize air traffic control, and enhance security along the southern border.
Farm Director KC Sheperd featured comments from Senator Lankford, who provided an update on the bill’s progress. “The one big beautiful bill has been something that’s been in process for months now,” he explained, noting that work began in the Finance Committee last fall. “The House passed their version. Everyone’s had the chance to be able to review it. The Senate has multiple chapters out that are now public. About 95% of the bill is now public.” He added that while the vast majority of the bill’s contents are accessible, “we’re still tweaking the last 5% of it.”
The primary objective of the bill, according to Lankford, is to avert a looming financial burden on American families and businesses. “This bill protects Americans from what would be the largest tax increase in history,” he emphasized. “Right now, tax rates are set to expire for every single American on January 1st of next year. So the first thing is, we’re trying to prevent that giant tax increase from happening next year.”
Beyond preventing a tax hike, the legislation also includes “targeted tax changes for a lot of folks that are in the working class.” Lankford cited examples such as “no tax on tips, no tax on overtime,” and a “special benefit for working seniors not to have to pay additional taxes when they’re also on social security.”
The “big, beautiful bill” extends beyond tax policy to address other critical national issues. “We’re also trying to be able to reduce the deficit,” Lankford stated. He also highlighted efforts to “improve the air traffic control system, which desperately needs modernization,” and to “secure our southern border, which needs additional border barriers, which we’ve all talked about for a long time.” The multifaceted nature of the bill is precisely why, as Lankford explained, “they call it a big, beautiful bill because there are multiple pieces that are in this.”
A significant point of discussion around the bill has been its proposed changes to Medicaid. Lankford addressed concerns directly, outlining two key adjustments. The first is the introduction of a “work requirement for able-bodied individuals with no children.” He clarified, “This is not about disabled children or pregnant moms. This is just those able-bodied adults with no children. We think there should be a work requirement.” He pointed out that “there’s a work requirement in all the other social safety net programs for that population, except this one.”
The second major change involves what’s known as the “provider tax.” Lankford explained that Medicaid, unlike Medicare, is a shared federal-state program. “Several states around the country have started gaming the system to try to increase the federal share and decrease the state share on that.” He found it “interesting” that “this exact proposal was what was proposed by President Obama in his budget 10 years ago,” when Democrats viewed it as a positive step. Now, with Republicans proposing the same, “they’re like, this is a terrible thing that destroys the program.” Lankford dismissed this political pushback, asserting, “It’s not. We’re trying just to be able to get the balance back between the federal and the state portions, and we’re trying to make sure that people who can work are working while they’re on Medicaid.”
As the July 4th target for finalization looms, Senator Lankford remains committed to bringing the “big, beautiful bill” across the finish line, emphasizing its potential impact on the economic well-being and security of American families.
