Political Awareness

A federal statute sponsored by U. S. Rep Jodey Arrington and passed by the 119th United States congress, then signed into law by president Donald Trump on July 04, 2025 (07/04/25). The (OBBBA) is a large act over 1000 pages combining multiple smaller bills into a big single bill, considered a massive bill that covers multiple areas that combines many national reforms mainly in immigration, healthcare, environmental problems and education. The main purpose is to consolidate smaller bills and make the federal budget process more efficient.

-The bill is expected to add trillions of dollars to America’s debt, it will significantly increase the U.S. budget deficit that is already big, around ~$1.0 trillion and is projected to add up to ~$3.4 trillion over the next decade, mainly because this bill is projected to combine smaller bills, and funding many smaller bills and programs at once will make it harder to fund other priorities in the future.

-This bill is extremely long, covering over 1,000 pages, making it hard for congress to fully review, increasing the risk of mistakes, and can make it difficult for congress members to understand specifically what this bill does.

-Modifications to medicare and medicaid: Around ~17 million low income/working class Americans will lose their health insurance by increasing costs, reducing coverage, and will be harder to access, especially for low income families, senior citizens, and children who rely on medicaid. These changes could lead to a bigger medical debt, and greater inequality in access to medical services.

-This bill also introduces changes to federal student loans, lower borrowing limits meaning that students may face higher payments, and a higher debt. This can create challenges for some career paths, and limit a lot more who can afford expensive professional programs.

-The bill increases funding for border enforcement, and other federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and negatively impacts immigrants because it will most likely lead to a higher rate of deportations, and limits pathways for legal status or citizenship for undocumented people.

-The OBBBA addresses many issues at once, including taxes, infrastructure, immigration and education, putting multiple smaller bills into a single bill, rather than passing multiple smaller bills.

-The bill increases border security, this aims to reduce illegal crossings, and strengthen national security by providing more funds and implementing new advanced technology. This can ensure security and prevent criminals doing illegal activities from entering the country.

-Increases the military funding, this allows upgraded equipment, better training, and pay raises for members of the United States military.

-The OBBBA provides significant funding for national parks, forests, and wildlife habitats and ecosystems across the United States. This funding supports restoration projects, such as reforestation, and other activities to protect the environment and wildlife in the United States.

-The OBBBA provides significant tax cuts for high-income earners and companies, allowing corporations to keep more of their earnings, and expand across the United States. This aspect of the bill can benefit wealthy individuals and corporations but at the same time, middle and low income individuals get smaller benefits, so this aspect can be beneficial for wealthy individuals and corporations but may be unfair for low/middle income Americans that will receive smaller benefits.

The IGO Anti-Boycott Act, introduced January 31 2025 to the House of Representatives, penalizes U.S. government employees for joining boycotts by certain intergovernmental organizations that go against countries friendly to the U.S. These organizations, called IGOs, include the European Union and United nations. Individuals and entities that are caught face civil penalties up to $250,000, criminal penalties up to $1 million, and jail time for up to 20 years.

Protects both U.S. allies and relationships (i.e. Israel)

Ensures U.S. businesses follow American foreign policy

Amends the existing Export Control Reform Act of 2018

U.S. individuals and companies cannot be forced into economic boycotts, which could harm national security interests & commercial relationships

As an anti-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) act, supporters argue that the bill combats against anti-semitism, as supporters believe BDS attacks Israel

Restricts an individual’s right to free speech by infringing upon the right to participate in boycotts

Could be weaponized against peaceful protests, which infringes on another first amendment right that has already been decided (i.e. Montgomory Bus Riots, the Civil Rights Movement).

Expands the power of government over an individual.

Conflates economic sanctions and policy change in the Middle East with racial and ethnic discrimination.

Compelled speech; the act is vague enough to imply that an individual who does not buy products from Israel is in violation of the act, forcing people to buy from the country

This is compelled speech; the government effectively had the power to force you to support a country regardless of your personal beliefs

Introduced by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), the Kids Online Safety Act is a proposed bill which would require social media and internet companies to keep in mind the safety and wellbeing of minors under 17 years old. This includes requiring them to limit the creation or implementation of any features that may cause or be a factor in unhealthy behaviors, abuse, or exploitation of minors. For example, under this new bill, companies would be banned from having auto-scroll or other features which reward or promote increased screen time in minors. Additionally, this bill calls for the addition of protections against contact with minors, the sharing of minors’ location and data, and the introduction of new parental guidance features. These measures, especially meant for those under the age of 13, serve as new protections which if passed could:

-Reduce predatory interactions with children and minors

-Increase corporate responsibility for their own products

-Introduce safe, healthy internet habits for children and minors

-Help parents fight back against ads and in-game pay walls which target their children

-Protect the privacy of America’s minors

However, it is also important to keep in mind that such a law could end up hurting American corporations and their business, as many internet based companies rely on younger consumers–particularly in their teens–as a main source of their income. For example, many gaming companies offer pay-to-play options on their games which mainly target younger minors under the age of 13, and this bill would limit the reach and impact those companies have on minors. On the other hand, the health and well being of the consumer is also in the best interest of the government, whose sole duty is to represent the interests of the American people.

A recent act on taxation called the No Tax on Tips Act, passed by the Senate on 05/20/2025 and sponsored by Sen. Cruz, Ted, moves to reduce taxes paid on tips, which affects both employees with lower incomes and a broader chain of businesses that receive regular cash tips. This design aims to help both low and middle income earners who rely on tips to receive deduction, and as the eligible income cap increases, more people can receive the deduction. The tax credit given for the payroll taxes of employers in the food industry will now be expanded to certain beauty services who can now obtain larger tax credit quantities equivalent to the payroll taxes.

The bill also allows workers to keep their cash tips as tax-free as long as they are under $25,000, and in turn allow employers to be reimbursed more money from their taxes. Overall, the taxation bill provides both sides of an employment relationship with more tax benefits and deductions to help those with lower incomes to keep more of their earnings.

Employees earning under $25,000 in cash tips get to keep it as a non-taxable income

Workers across both the beauty and food industries become eligible for this tax benefit

Employers across both industries get tax credits for their payroll taxes

The cap of $160,000 is annually adjustable by inflation meaning that more people might fall under the cap and be eligible

Allows workers who rely on tips as part of their income to keep more of their earnings

Is limited to only cash tips

People who earn above the cap of $160,000 don’t have to pay taxes for Social Security while those under do

Is also currently limited to food and beauty industries although they are the most prominent

Could lead to revenue loss for the government

Complicates the employers bookkeeping system

The Restoring Trade Fairness Act (RTFA) will significantly affect the United States’ trade by increasing tariffs from 35% to 100%. The RTFA also aims to revoke China’s permanent normal trade relations status. These measures will likely lead to higher prices and reduced availability for products such as electronics, medicine, apparel, toys, and furniture. Although American industries may benefit, many people and small businesses are expected to be heavily affected by the inflated prices. Overall, The RFTA is designed to protect American workers, but it comes with substantial trade-offs for consumers and businesses.

        1 Increase is Jobs

        • The decrease in international trade will encourage companies to open factories, creating plenty of stable jobs that reduce unemployment.

        2 Stronger Economic Independence

        • Reducing reliance on Foreign imports will make the U.S. more resilient to global trade interruptions. As seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning supplies will be more stable and readily available.

        3 Environmental benefits

        • The pollution from the transportation of imported goods coming into the U.S. will be reduced, promoting cleaner environmental friendly practices.

        4 Reviving local communities

        • Industrial towns whose residents lost their jobs due to outsourcing to other cheaper countries could see new businesses from a growth in population, leading to a once forgotten town becoming a thriving center for opportunity.

        5 Technological Modernization

        • Industries could find the need to stay competitive, thus leading to advances in AI and automation for increased productivity.

        1 Higher prices

        • Increased Tariffs will make everyday items much more expensive for American consumers. Businesses will pass higher production costs and import regulations from tariffs down to their buyers.

        2 American exports

        • Other countries may respond with similar tariffs on American goods, hurting farmers, manufacturers, and tech companies that rely on global trade, possibly making people in these positions unemployed.

        3 Small Business’ dependence

        • Many small businesses rely on cheaper imported materials, and the price increase could potentially force them to close, furthering unemployment rates

        4 Supply adjustments

        • American countries might strain to meet the new and increasing demands forced onto them by tariffs leading to inefficiencies, shortages, and years worth of adjustment.

        5 Reduced global influence

        • Due to focusing internally, the lack of exports may weaken the United States’ leverage, leading to another country filling the void and rising to power.

The Life at Conception Act brings up the question whether aborting a fetus at any stage of life. Regardless if at the moment of fertilization or months after conception holds the same value as any other with its life. If passed, this act grants full legal personhood to unborn embryos and fetuses. With Roe v. Wade being overturned in the past, some continue to hold the belief that a fetus should not be aborted regardless of circumstances and should be raised to adulthood. Abortion has remained a firm decision for many pregnant women, no matter if by choice or due to the risks it brings, though others hold different views where abortion is the same as killing a human being.

– Parenthood teaches women the value of lives, solidifying their morals for the better.

– Abortion is murder, as conception is the beginning of life.

– It raises caution for women to not treat sexual intercourse lightly.

– Raising a child comes with many rewarding experiences, one may come to realize.

– There may be a loss of future potential, which could have made significant contributions to society.

– Abortion is a safe medical procedure that, in many cases, saves lives, as the mother may not physically be suitable to give birth.

– The ban on abortion comes with the removal of a woman’s bodily autonomy.

– Giving birth to an unwanted child may have negative effects on both the mother and child, taking a toll especially on the mother’s mental state.

– Raising a child is extremely expensive, and many unexpected pregnancies do not come with the savings to cover that.

– The timing of the pregnancy is crucial to parenthood, as the relationship of the parents may be strained at the moment or the circumstances prevent the mother from raising the child sufficiently.

On March 13, 2025, the No Tax on Overtime Act was introduced in the United States Senate. This bill proposes a reformation of overtime taxation by excluding overtime compensation from federal income tax. The bill was proposed by a group of senators in order to address and solve the challenges faced by low-income families that rely on overtime work to maintain financial stability and support their families. If the bill is to be enacted by the president and passed by the other judicial parties. Millions of American workers will receive increased disposable income and will maintain more of their earnings from overtime pay.

What caused such a significant proposition? The No Tax on Overtime Act of 2025 was introduced due to the backlash of the government from low and middle income workers who have been arguing for change for the last 10-15 years and relied on overtime pay from their jobs to provide for their families. So, since 2015, senators have recognized the pressure on working families and listened to their concerns. They have been working to propose bills on No Tax on Overtime as a means to increase the annual pay of those who are reliant on overtime pay to make ends meet.

As of now, qualifications for overtime is defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). As an employee who work more than 40 hours per week, who are often paid at a higher rate (usually 1.5 times of their regular hourly wage). However, under current tax laws, overtime pay is treated the same as regular income, subject to the same federal income tax rates. The new deduction states that individuals who receive qualified overtime compensation. May deduct the pay that exceeds their regular rate of pay that is required by the FLSA and that is reported on a specified statement furnished to the individual such as a W-2 Form and 1099 Form. Additionally, there is a maximum yearly deduction of $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers) for taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers).

-Increased disposable income for workers

-Financial relief for low to middle income households

-Incentive for more work and higher productivity

-Reduced Economic Inequality

-Strengthening consumer spending and local community’s economies

-Improved worker focus and job satisfaction

-Alignment with tax fairness

-Better work-life balance for employees

-Loss of government revenue

-Potential legal challenges and setbacks

-Risk of unequal benefits to higher income families

-Disincentive to give employee salary raises

-Encouraging longer work hours and burnout

-No impact on workers who do not qualify for the deduction

-Wage are increased and inflated

-inefficieny at work to earn overtime pay

On June 14, 2025, a gunman entered the home of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman, shooting him and his wife, Yvette. Before killing Minnesota State House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, in a separate home. The suspect was later arrested by the law enforcement officers of Brooklyn Park and Champlin. House resolution 519 calls on all Americans to resort to civil debate rather than resorting to violence. In memory of Emerita Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman, in honor of John Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman. Both of whom were critically injured, and in honor of the courageous individuals who stopped further harm. The resolution rejects political violence in all forms and emphasizes a commitment to promoting civility in public life.

        Unity through the message that political disagreements should never lead to violence

        Public officials are more aware about the threat of representation

        Publicly recognizes the lives lost

        Deterring effect on future attacks as the bill emphasizes violence as unacceptable

        Affirms societal norms against violence in general

        The resolution does not impose any new obligation. Therefore, it only has moral weight; its practical effect may be limited

        The bill is declarative, so it may offer a false sense of security

        The bill condemns political violence, but does not address the cause of it

        The resolution does send a message, but it does not directly affect an individual’s everyday life

        If no follow-through occurs (“they passed a statement but did nothing real”). Then there is no meaningful step that took place, so it disrespects the lives that were lost

MICHELLE DU:

H.R.5401 – Pay Our Troops Act of 2026

Why was this proposal introduced?

Benefits:

Drawbacks: