WASHINGTON – Tuesday, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:
“Last November, Americans spoke loud and clear: they want safer communities, lower energy costs, and real relief for working families. Today, the Senate delivered—blocking a $4 trillion tax hike and investing in border security to keep America safe. This bill locks in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, saving the average Nebraska family $2,400 a year. It keeps taxes low, boosts small businesses, strengthens our military, supports farmers and ranchers, and makes energy more affordable for everyone.
“I’m also pleased this bill makes permanent my Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Tax Credit. Since I established the nation’s first and only federal PFML policy in 2017, this credit has empowered employers of all sizes to offer paid leave to their workers voluntarily, rather than through a government mandate. Now, employers across America have the certainty they need to support employees as they care for a newborn or an aging parent without sacrificing their job or paycheck.
“I urge the House to take up this bill and send it to the president’s desk so we can deliver on our promises to empower working families and keep America safe, strong, and prosperous.”
One Big Beautiful Bill Provisions:
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act contains the following provisions championed by Fischer:
- Paid Family Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act: makes the PFML Employer Tax Credit—the country’s first-ever nationwide PFML policy—permanent, helping employers of all sizes to voluntarily—not through a government mandate—offer PFML plans to their employees;
- A carve-out for the Department of Defense—for the first time in history—of specific spectrum bands (3, 7, and 8 gigahertz frequencies) from general Federal Communications Commission auction authority, which will safeguard the missile defense of the homeland, protect our military radars and sensors, and lay the groundwork for long-term defense innovation—including the Golden Dome Missile Defense Shield; and
- A modified version of her Protecting Rural Seniors Access to Care Act, which repeals a harmful Biden-era staffing mandate that would have forced several long-term care (LTC) facilities to close, depriving America’s seniors of care.
It also includes the following tax provisions to benefit Nebraska families:
- Prevents a more-than $2,400 tax hike on the average Nebraska family;
- Protects over 44,000 family-owned farms in Nebraska from having their death tax exemption cut in half;
- Protects 37,000 jobs in Nebraska from being lost;
- Ensures more than 239,000 Nebraska households’ child tax credit is not cut in half;
- Makes sure more than 868,000 Nebraska families’ standard deduction is not cut in half;
- Establishes work requirements for able-bodied adults who are choosing not to work and do not have dependent children or elderly parents in their care; and
- Ensures no taxes on tips or overtime for millions of tipped and hourly workers.
It also supports Nebraska’s agricultural industry by:
- Extending the 45Z Clean Fuels Production Tax Credit to support Nebraska’s farmers and biofuel producers;
- Investing in and modernizing the farm safety net, including improvements to crop insurance;
- Expanding markets for Nebraska’s ag producers by investing in trade promotion;
- Increasing funding for foreign animal disease prevention to protect Nebraska’s ag industry; and
- Increasing funding for agricultural research.
The bill invests in America’s border security through the following provisions:
- $46.5 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to build the border wall and associated infrastructure;
- $45 billion to increase the detention of illegal migrants;
- $6 billion for improvements to surveillance at the border; and
- Funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to increase staffing and enhance migrant screening and vetting processes.
The bill also makes crucial investments in America’s national security through the following provisions:
- $15 billion to modernize nuclear weapons and delivery systems and to invest in the infrastructure needed to restore America’s ability to manufacture nuclear weapons;
- $25 billion to accelerate procurement of key munitions and expand production capacity;
- $25 billion for America’s Golden Dome—building a layered missile defense shield and developing space-based assets to protect the homeland and deployed troops; and
- $1 billion to support Department of Defense personnel and logistics for border security and counterdrug operations.
