By any honest measure, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that passed the U.S. House on May 22, 2025, and now awaits Senate approval, is a robust populist package aimed squarely at helping working- and middle-class Americans. Its critics — mostly on the left — have tried to paint it as yet another tax giveaway for the wealthy. But that narrative crumbles under the weight of actual policy.

This bill isn't perfect — far from it, especially when it comes to its impact on the deficit. But let's begin where the debate should: with what the bill actually does for the very people who propelled Donald Trump back to the White House in 2024.

Real Relief for the Real Economy

One of the most powerful and overlooked aspects of the bill is its elimination of federal income taxes on tips through 2028. This isn’t some throwaway gesture. It’s a life-changing policy for millions of workers — waiters, bartenders, delivery drivers — who rely on tips to make ends meet. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 3.9 million to 4.2 million Americans work in occupations that regularly earn tips. The vast majority fall in the lower-income brackets. This provision alone stands as a monumental win for the service class, and a direct fulfillment of a Trump campaign promise.

Add to that the bill’s temporary suspension of federal taxes on overtime pay from 2026 to 2028, and it becomes even clearer: this is about rewarding hard work. Blue-collar workers in industries like manufacturing, warehousing, construction, and logistics — many of them core Trump supporters — regularly depend on overtime to boost their pay. This is a government finally recognizing their contribution and giving something back.

The legislation also makes permanent the individual tax cuts from Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates saves the average American household about $1,700 per year. That’s real money — roughly nine weeks of groceries, or a year’s worth of car insurance. It’s not a handout; it’s letting people keep more of what they earn.

Strengthening the Middle Class

For the broad swath of Americans who don’t itemize their taxes, the bill’s increased standard deduction offers clear help: an extra $1,000 for individuals, $1,500 for heads of household, and $2,000 for married couples through 2028. According to IRS data, over 90% of taxpayers use the standard deduction. This isn’t a break for hedge fund managers — it’s one for teachers, mechanics, and nurses.

Then there’s targeted help for seniors. The bill raises the standard deduction for Americans over 65 by $4,000, phased out for incomes over $75,000 ($150,000 for couples). This is financial relief for people on fixed incomes — not trust fund retirees lounging in Palm Beach.

And it doesn’t stop there. The bill doubles Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution limits for working-class families and allows fitness expenses to be covered. It encourages smart saving and healthy living without pushing anyone into private insurance schemes.

Even young families aren’t forgotten. A new program creates “Trump Accounts” — one-time $1,000 deposits for every child born from 2025 to 2029. The funds can be used for education, buying a home, or starting a business. It’s not flashy, but it’s quietly revolutionary: helping working-class families give their children a financial head start.

Economic Nationalism in Action

Trump’s economic nationalism also shines through. The bill provides a tax deduction on interest for loans used to buy American-made cars, supporting domestic manufacturing and middle-class car buyers alike. It’s a policy that speaks to patriotism and practicality.

Small business owners — a backbone of Trump’s coalition — also benefit. The expansion of the Section 199A deduction to a flat 23% is projected to support over 1 million jobs annually and add $750 billion to GDP, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation. That’s local businesses hiring locally, paying wages locally, and enriching communities from the ground up.

The Deficit Elephant

And yet, the criticism about the bill’s cost isn’t unwarranted. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made headlines on June 3 when he posted on X:

I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore.
This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.
Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.

Musk isn’t wrong to be angry about the bill’s fiscal side. Estimates suggest it could add $3.8 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade, depending on growth assumptions and inflation rates. That’s serious — and any responsible citizen should demand long-term discipline from both parties.

But it’s also worth noting: The deficit and debt estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, a nominally nonpartisan group that slants to the left, virtually always overestimate, even by their own admission as they fail to take into account that economic growth that comes from tax cuts and the resulting higher tax revenues. The complaints ring especially hollow when they come from Democrats who were silent during spending blowouts under previous administrations. Worse, many of those same critics are misleading the public by labeling the bill as just another tax cut for the wealthy. That’s not just inaccurate — it’s a lie. A glance at the actual policy reveals provisions crafted for real people, in real working-class jobs, trying to get ahead.

Final Thought

Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” may not pass every test of fiscal purity. Musk’s frustration is valid, and anyone who values responsible governance should take it seriously. But dismissing this bill as a gift to the rich is dishonest.

For too long, working- and middle-class Americans were promised prosperity while being handed platitudes. This time, the policies are tailored to their lives — their hours, their families, their paychecks. And that’s not a handout. It’s respect.

The bill deserves scrutiny, but also recognition. Because if America is going to rebuild its working and middle classes, it starts with legislation that puts them first.

Dr. Joseph Ford Cotto hosts and produces News Sight, speaking the data-driven truth about economic and political issues that impact you. During the 2024 presidential election, he created the Five-Point Forecast, which correctly predicted Trump's national victory and the outcome in all swing states. The author of numerous nonfiction books, Cotto holds a doctorate in business administration and is a Lean Six Sigma Certified Black Belt. During 2014, HLM King Kigeli V of Rwanda bestowed a hereditary knighthood upon him. It was followed by a barony the next year.

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