Tag Archives: “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBB)

This Really Should Not Surprise Anyone

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On Monday, American Greatness posted an article about the impact of the Big Beautiful Bill on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The article reports:

Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has declined significantly since new federal work requirements took effect in mid-2025, with millions fewer Americans receiving benefits, according to newly reported federal data.

The number of people enrolled in SNAP has fallen by roughly 3.5 million since July 2025, dropping from an average of 42.1 million participants in the prior fiscal year to about 38.5 million as of January 2026, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.

The decline follows the implementation of expanded eligibility rules included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law by Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. The legislation broadened existing work requirements for able-bodied adults, mandating that individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 without young dependents participate in at least 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, or government-run programs.

Previously, the requirements applied to a narrower age group and included different criteria for dependents, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP. Officials told The Wall Street Journal that the recent changes represent the most sweeping adjustments to the program in decades.

There is no reason that healthy Americans should be able to sit at home while the rest of us work to supply them with groceries. We need to help those who need help, but we don’t need to enable those who don’t want to work.

The article concludes:

Several states, including Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee, have reported double-digit percentage declines. In response, some state officials have begun efforts to connect affected residents with employment and volunteer opportunities to help them meet the new requirements.

Arizona has seen the steepest drop, with participation falling by more than half. According to state data, more than 424,000 fewer residents are receiving benefits, including approximately 181,000 children. State officials attributed much of the decline to the rapid implementation of the new federal rules.

“The expanded work requirements were primarily responsible for the drop,” Brett Bezio, a spokesman for Arizona’s Department of Economic Security, told The Wall Street Journal.

This is the way you lower federal spending.

The Quiet Impact Of Deportations

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On Thursday, Zero Hedge posted an article about one of the less-mentioned results of deporting illegal aliens.

The article reports:

Democrats entered 2026 confident they could make “affordability” the rallying cry that would win back suburban voters and propel them back into the majority. But an inconvenient political twist has upended that plan: Donald Trump is the one actually delivering on affordability – and doing it in ways his opponents are almost certain to despise.

The foundation of this shift is the administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigration. ICE deportations under Trump have sharply reduced the number of illegal migrants in the country – which, according to the White House – is easing the enormous housing demand that exploded under Joe Biden thanks to his open borders policies. 

In short, rents and home prices in many major metro areas are becoming more affordable. Though we would of course note that correlation is not necessarily causation.

It’s called the law of supply and demand. If there are more people than houses available, the price of housing goes up. If there are more houses available than people who want them, the price goes down.

The article concludes:

Falling rents, rising wages, and higher labor participation are giving younger voters something they’ve struggled to find for years: a sense of stability. Lower immigration is also contributing to reduced crime and drug deaths, further tying economic security to Trump’s immigration policies.

And then there’s the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the administration believes will play a huge role in giving Americans the relief they’ve been craving. The legislation aims to lock in lower individual and corporate tax rates, expand full business expensing, and let voters see more of their paychecks. The administration describes it as a direct strike on the cost-of-living crisis.

Other key provisions include higher SALT deduction caps for homeowners, no tax on tips and overtime, and a modest expansion of charitable deductions. Seniors will also see new tax breaks on Social Security income. Buyers of U.S.-made vehicles would get fresh incentives. Each piece will show that while Democrats talk the talk on “affordability” the GOP walks the walk.

Democrats built their midterm plans around the assumption that they could own the affordability issue. Trump is instead redefining it on his terms: fewer migrants competing for jobs and housing, stronger wages, cheaper rents, and more disposable income. Republicans hope that by the time voters head to the polls, “affordability” may no longer be a Democratic talking point. And it might just work.

Illegal aliens working ‘under the table’ drive American wages down, and illegal aliens drive rents and house prices up. At some point the unions and others who support Democrat policies are going to realize that they are hurting themselves.

There Are Some Things Blocking Full Release Of America’s Energy Potential

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On Friday, Townhall posted an article noting that in order for America to unleash its total energy potential, some of the regulations regarding energy would have to be changed.

The article reports:

This summer, President Trump and Congress have been extremely successful with remaking the American economy to deliver for workers and businesses, passing the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBB) in July that extends important tax cuts and unleashes American energy.

In particular, American energy dominance and independence was a key winner, as numerous provisions repealed Biden-era giveaways to green energy that held back our economy, making energy less reliable and affordable. Yet the OBBB is just the first step for unleashing American energy, and the next step must be comprehensive permitting reform. With these mandates to expand our national energy dominance, lawmakers must remove the onerous red tape and bureaucratic delays to get critical infrastructure projects off the ground.

 The OBBB was the right first step, accelerating the end to wind and solar tax credits that were part of the “Green New Deal” that constrained domestic energy supply. The bill also compels the Interior Department to hold more land leases in our waters, which as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum states, “marks a significant shift in how we manage our public lands, support energy development and work with local communities.” 

The article notes:

Our nation’s permitting process is currently governed by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Clean Water Act (CWA), both outdated laws that have made it such that projects on average take 4.5 years to permit, with transmission projects to protect our national grid taking 6.5 years. With the OBBB, sponsors can now pay for an expedited review of their Environmental Assessment (EA), which has shorter deadlines and requirements to update the process.

It should be noted that the last significant oil refinery built in the United States was the Marathon Refinery in Garyville, Louisiana, which opened in 1976. However, a new refinery, the Texas International Terminals refinery, began operations in February 2022, but it is considered a smaller facility compared to major refineries. We need to drill for more oil and build more refineries.

The article concludes:

Comprehensive proposals like the SPEED Act (Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act) are the much-needed next step to unleash American energy after the OBBB. While its first steps are a positive development in getting energy infrastructure projects online and growing good-paying industrial jobs, deeper issues remain with NEPA and the system of judicial review. When Congress comes back this fall, comprehensive permitting reform must be top of mind for policymakers, which will strengthen our domestic economy, national security, and position in the global marketplace.