WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Jim Justice released a statement following the Senate passage of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill:
“Passing President Trump’s agenda out of the Senate provides lasting tax relief, establishes common-sense reform to our social programs while protecting those who are most vulnerable, and represents a refocus on placing the American dream back in reach for all Americans. Throughout this process, I worked closely with both President Trump and my Senate colleagues to not only safeguard West Virginia’s interests, but bring prosperity to the state and provide opportunity to the working men and women of this country. West Virginia elected me to be their voice in Washington and deliver lasting positive results just as I did while Governor – I am confident this bill is a strong step in the right direction and I will continue my work with President Trump to make life better for West Virginians,” said Senator Jim Justice.
Specifically, this bill:
- Saves West Virginians from over $1,400 in tax hikes.
- Provides no tax on overtime pay and no tax on tipped wages.
- It adds metallurgical coal as a critical mineral to 45x, which will have a significant impact on Southern West Virginia.
- Provides historic investments to strengthen America’s border security and immigration system.
- Supports law enforcement officers by providing funding for training and equipment, hiring, and critical grant programs.
- Provides resources to help curb the opioid crisis, particularly the fight against fentanyl, by increasing funding to the U.S. Department of Justice to support efforts to combat deadly drug trafficking.
- Sustains safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP over the long-term. Specifically, the legislation puts Medicaid back on a more fiscally stable trajectory for those who need it.
- Invests significant funding in a rural health transformation program to improve access to care and stabilize critical hospitals and other providers.
- Creates a relief fund for rural hospitals, helping to support their critical services and those they serve in rural communities like the many throughout West Virginia.
- Establishes investment accounts for newborns to secure financial futures for every American child from birth.
- Provides $25 billion to replenish and increase stockpiles of critical munitions, including many that have key components manufactured at sites like Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in Mineral County, W.Va.
- Provides $500 million to support the readiness of National Guard units.
- Provides $100 million to accelerate production of the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned refueling drone, of which key components are manufactured in Harrison County, W.Va.
- Provides $1 billion for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) support to border security missions and counterdrug enforcement to protect West Virginians from drug trafficking and fentanyl.
- Provides $9 billion to support service members and their families, including improvements to housing, healthcare, child care, and education benefits.
- Invests in America’s farmers and ranchers with critical updates to farm safety net programs and risk management tools.
- Invests in rural America by providing significant funding for competitive grants to assist in the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of agricultural research facilities under the Research Facilities Act—something that various institutions of higher education throughout West Virginia support.