Marylanders deserve the truth about the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) — and they’re not getting it from the mainstream media. Much of the coverage has been filled with spin, fearmongering and outright falsehoods about what this bill does and doesn’t do. Let’s set the record straight.

First, I was initially hesitant to support this bill — and for good reason. As a fiscal conservative, I raised concerns about its potential to add to the deficit. Those concerns were not just for show; I withheld support to ensure Maryland taxpayers wouldn’t be saddled with more Washington debt.

Because conservatives pushed back, major changes were secured before the final vote. Among the wins:

Stronger Medicaid integrity provisions were included to stop states from improperly paying benefits — including to illegal immigrants — while protecting care for truly needy Marylanders.

Green New Scam rollbacks, ensuring Maryland families and businesses aren’t burdened with radical energy mandates that drive up costs. This is especially essential as offshore wind adversely affects watermen, communities and constituents in my district.

Strengthening work requirements: The One Big Beautiful Bill strengthens common-sense work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving federal government assistance on the taxpayer dime — an important step toward restoring the dignity of work and ensuring taxpayer dollars aren’t used for those who choose not to work.

These changes are real, tangible victories for Marylanders who expect their representatives to fight for fiscal responsibility. The OBBB also contains wins that will make the lives of all Marylanders better:

Maryland’s restaurant and hospitality workers work hard for every dollar they earn, and they shouldn’t have to share their tips with the IRS. Thanks to the OBBB, qualified tips are no longer taxed, putting more money directly into the hands of servers, bartenders and hotel staff across our state. This is especially meaningful for younger workers and single parents juggling multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

The bill also delivers meaningful tax relief for seniors, ensuring they keep more of their retirement income. At a time when many older Marylanders are living on fixed incomes while dealing with rising health care and energy costs, this is a major step forward. Seniors have spent their lives working and paying into the system; they deserve to keep more of what they’ve earned.

The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers real tax relief for hardworking middle-class Americans, putting more money back into the pockets of those who need it most.

The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers a major win for hardworking Americans by ensuring no tax on overtime pay. This means extra hours worked truly pay off, allowing workers to keep the money they earn when they put in the long hours to provide for their families.

Meanwhile, the media is busy telling a different story — painting the bill as some sort of attack on working families and suggesting conservatives “caved.” That’s simply false. No eligible Marylander is losing Medicaid coverage. No eligible person is losing SNAP benefits. Rural hospitals are not being “defunded.” And the Freedom Caucus didn’t “fold” — we fought, we negotiated and we secured major spending policy wins that would never have been in this bill without conservative leverage.

This is what responsible legislating looks like. We said “no” to reckless spending until the bill was improved. We worked with President Donald Trump and his team to make sure the final product delivered for taxpayers. And now, the One Big Beautiful Bill reflects conservative priorities Maryland families can feel good about — lower spending, stronger safeguards against waste and real accountability for Washington.

The bottom line is this: The One Big Beautiful Bill is a win for Maryland. It gives workers a break and provides real relief for seniors — all without raising taxes or adding new burdens on Maryland families.

The critics may keep shouting, but for Maryland’s seniors, service workers and hard-working taxpayers, the benefits of this bill will be felt every day — and that’s what really matters.

Andy Harris (X: @RepAndyHarrisMD) is a Republican representing Maryland in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Originally published by Baltimoresun.

Source: Baltimoresun