For a while, it looked like it might be one, big, beautiful mess, but now Congress has officially enacted, H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, fulfilling Republicans’ legislative agenda on tax cuts, the border and immigration enforcement that President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans campaigned on in 2024 that swept them into majorities.
The final votes were 51 to 50 in the Senate, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, and 218 to 214 in the House after weeks and months of preparation, drafting and debate. Now the work is done. The job is finished.
The legislation includes President Trump’s promised no income taxes on tips and overtime, tax cuts for seniors collecting Social Security, making the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent and 100 percent factory expensing to make products in America again.
It is also the strongest border and immigration enforcement bill ever in the history of America, with $170 billion of border and immigration enforcement provisions. It includes some $46 billion to finish the border wall, $45 billion for new immigration detention centers that can deal with 116,000 detainees, enabling President Donald Trump to keep his and Congressional Republicans’ promise to engage in the largest deportation operation ever.
There will be 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, and $10,000 signing bonuses for Border Patrol agents as well. Another $1 billion goes to the Department of Defense for border security, too, and $10 billion for states to assist federal immigration enforcement efforts.
With these provisions and more, including removing 1.4 million illegal aliens from Medicaid and other public services, President Trump once and for all will be able to permanently secure America’s southern border and deport 1 million or more illegal aliens every year after there were more than 10 million border encounters under former President Joe Biden’s disastrous administration.
Now it is finally the time to secure the border, tell illegal aliens hell no, they can’t stay, and put America first.
No other president would have ever presented such legislation, let alone be in a position to actually pass it. For any Republican who ever promised to deal with the border and illegal immigration, this bill is more than they could have ever dreamed of. Maybe it’s so good they’re spoiled now and think they can make it perfect.
This passed the Senate! Ten years ago, who could have ever thought that was possible? Donald Trump, that’s who. Now, finally Congress is following President Trump’s lead.
For President Trump, this is the crowning achievement of his legislative agenda. Nowadays, barring a bipartisan breakthrough or the sudden demise of the filibuster, budget bills are where it’s at. But still pending are this year’s appropriation bills, which could be adopted individually, with an omnibus or with a continuing resolution.
Of course there’s more to be done. And you know what? Next year, there will be another budget that the House and Senate can work on via budget reconciliation. They might address ongoing fiscal concerns including the spiraling $37 trillion debt, perhaps with the President’s proposed sovereign wealth fund and/or by boosting fertility with robust tax incentives.
So, keep going. There’s more to do, and the best is yet to come.
This is the culmination of all the hard work done by President Trump, the House and the Senate. It is legislation the American people will be proud of, will boost the economy, enhance our national security and ensure that America finally addresses the illegal immigration crisis. Promises made, promises kept. Let’s go!
Robert Romano is the Executive Director of Americans for Limited Government.
