Farmers, seniors are big winners with the ‘OBBB’
After months of negotiations, Congress passed President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill — or “OBBB” as we like to call it. This bill will be remembered as a generational win for Americans of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds. I’m extremely proud of the work we did to secure wins for Alabama in this bill. It was a dogfight until the end, but I am proud of all the America First priorities we got signed into law.
The wins range from tax cuts, to manufacturing, to farming, to the border wall, to national security, and much, much more. It would take more than a column to detail all the wins we helped deliver for the Yellowhammer State in this bill. It unleashes economic development and restores fiscal sanity that our country desperately needs after the disastrous last four years under Joe Biden. We cut taxes for everyone, everywhere.
I’m particularly happy that some of the two biggest winners from this bill were our farmers and seniors.
The OBBB cut taxes for farmers by over $10 billion and prevents the Death Tax from hitting many of Alabama’s nearly 35,500 family owned farms. It strengthened the farm safety net through 10% to 20% increases in reference prices, depending on the crop, and increased access to crop insurance. This is going to make a real difference in the lives of our farmers and producers who put food on our tables.
Importantly, the bill also gave assistance to farmers and producers who have experienced losses due to predatory animals. I have spent the last few years sounding the alarm on feral hogs, which pose a serious threat to Alabama’s farmers. They destroy crops and undo months of work.
Thankfully, the OBBB included $105 million to extend and fund the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program through 2031. This is a sigh of relief for farmers across Alabama who have lived through the $50 million in damages these hogs cause each year.
While the Biden Administration intentionally ignored our rural states, President Trump is giving them a lifeline.
But the wins don’t stop there.
President Trump also delivered major victories for our seniors, who are about to see the largest tax break in history. With our bill, 88% of all those receiving Social Security benefits will no longer be taxed on their well-deserved benefits. Starting this year, those above the age of 65 will receive a $6,000 deduction and those who are married will receive $12,000 in deductions. This amounts to the biggest Social Security tax deduction for seniors in my lifetime.
Some 51.4 million seniors nationwide — including around 900,000 seniors in Alabama — will no longer be taxed on their Social Security. Let that sink in. After spending 40-plus years in the workforce, these men and women will finally get more money back in their pockets. Seniors have worked many years to afford retirement and already paid taxes on these wages. There has never been a justifiable reason to tax these earned benefits. Finally, this tax break will allow retirees to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
This is not only a major tax relief for our seniors, but a huge weight off the shoulders of all those currently in the workforce looking ahead to their retirement.
This bill is a game changer for everyone, whether you live in Mobile or Muscle Shoals. Whether you’re a farmer or a senior or just a taxpaying American, this bill is going to make a huge difference in your life.
Our president promised bold action, and the OBBB makes those promises the law of the land. Taxes are cut for everyone across the board. Workers are going to keep more of what they earn. We have funding for the border wall and secured funding for construction on the “Golden Dome” to protect us from our adversaries.
We fought hard until the game clock was nearly out, but we are taking home the victory, and we’ve got three and a half years of winning left. I can’t wait to see what else we can get done for the great people of Alabama.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville is Alabama’s senior U.S. senator.
