Rep. Bresnahan explains his vote for President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

WILKES-BARRE — When U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. voted on President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, it was his 180th day in Congress.

The freshman Congressman said it was a whirlwind week as the House of Representatives had to review and discuss changes made to the bill by the U.S. Senate.

“The people of my district won’t get the investment and resources they need if their representative is not in the room fighting for them every day,” said Bresnahan, R-Dallas Township. “As a small business owner, I learned how to fight and negotiate, and in Washington, I’ve used those skills to go to bat for my neighbors and the community I love. It is a tough fight that I am proud to do every day for our home.”

Bresnahan said he was one of the last holdouts on the bill, but finally cast a “yea” vote after receiving answers to his questions and certain assurances from Republican leadership.

Tax wins

“We’re standing up for the working class by making the 2017 pro-worker tax cuts permanent, preventing what would’ve been the largest tax increase in American history,” Bresnahan said. “Raising a family shouldn’t come with a tax penalty. Doubling the Child Tax Credit helps parents keep more of what they earn.”

He also said no tax on tips or overtime means workers get more of their hard-earned money, incentivizing them to earn more.

“This legislation also gets rid of taxes on auto loan interest for American made cars, putting money back in people’s pockets and supporting our domestic automotive industry,” Bresnahan said. “We’re also providing targeted relief for seniors on Social Security, ensuring retirement income stretches further.”

Medicaid/health care

Bresnahan said the legislation protects health care access in rural communities through the Rural Transformation Fund.

“I met with President Trump, Vice President Vance, CMS Administrator Dr. Oz, and other Administration staff to make sure that this fund would apply to our hospitals in NEPA,” he said. “This $50 billion fund is going to deliver investments directly into hospitals across Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Bresnahan said that help will be available as early as the beginning of next year, and he said he is looking forward to working to get that money to NEPA hospitals.

He also said the Medicaid reforms included in the package are a win for those who truly depend on these benefits.

“It focuses support on the truly vulnerable, while making the system fair,” he said. “Work requirements apply only to able-bodied adults without dependents.”

Bresnahan said many work requirement exemptions exist for children, seniors, veterans, students, pregnant women, individuals with medical conditions or disabilities and others.

“Anyone who Medicaid was designed to serve will continue to receive those benefits,” he said. “If you can work, you should. And the requirement is 20 hours a week, and it can be fulfilled through school, volunteering, care-giving, apprenticeship programs, and traditional work.”

Bresnahan said the specific exemptions for work requirements include:

• Individuals under 18 or over 64.

• Pregnant women.

• Parents, guardians, or caretakers of a dependent or disabled individual.

• Full-time students.

• Disabled veterans.

• Individuals with medical needs, including:

— Physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.

— Mental health disorders.

— Blindness.

— Substance use disorders.

— Serious or complex medical conditions.

• Members of households receiving SNAP benefits.

• Individuals in rehabilitation programs.

• Inmates of public institutions.

National security/border

“We’re protecting American jobs and communities with a $175 billion investment in border security, including front-line personnel and modern technology,” Bresnahan said. “This legislation includes $46.5 billion to complete the border wall, keeping our communities across the country safe and protected.

At the same time, he said the legislation will boost our military readiness with more than $85 billion for shipbuilding, nuclear deterrence and emerging technologies.

According to Bresnahan, the $85 billion includes:

• $25 billion for Golden Dome for America.

• $29 billion for Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base.

• $16 billion to new technologies to modernize our military.

• $15 billion for nuclear deterrence.

Air traffic control modernization

Rep. Bresnahan said the legislation calls for investing $12.5 billion to modernize air traffic control to upgrade our aviation system, enhancing both safety and reliability.

“We need to keep our skies safe, but we can’t do that when we don’t have enough skilled air traffic controllers,” Bresnahan said. “The funding from this bill will go towards improving recruitment and retention, as well as modernizing telecommunications equipment, updating our radar system and improving runway safety.”

SNAP

Bresnahan said, “We must ensure SNAP is preserved for our neighbors, families and the most vulnerable who actually need this support, not misdirected due to administrative failure.”

He said this package incentivizes states to control costs, enhance efficiencies and improve outcomes for SNAP recipients, ensuring SNAP will be able to be utilized long into the future by those who are most vulnerable and actually need it — our neighbors, friends and families in need.

“I pushed for an incentive-based, benefit cost share structure that included a path to zero percent cost share throughout the process,” Bresnahan said. “Every state, including Pennsylvania, has a clear path to a zero percent benefit cost share if they maintain a payment error rate below 6%. That’s achievable, and that’s what we’re working toward.”

He said Gov. Josh Shapiro has also taken advantage of every loophole he can to shift resources from those eligible under the law to those who should not be receiving SNAP, without considering the long-term costs or detrimental effects on the administration of the program.

He said traditionally, pre-COVID, Pennsylvania has had a SNAP payment error rate below 6%.

“Under Gov. Shapiro’s mismanagement, Pennsylvania’s error rate was almost 11% in FY24, down from almost 17% in FY23,” Bresnahan said. “I’m confident Pennsylvania can get back on track, reducing its error rate below 6% by FY28 and regaining the trust of both taxpayers and recipients alike.”