EXCLUSIVE: House GOP leadership leans on constituents to make the case for the One Big, Beautiful Bill

As Congress continues its push to pass reconciliation, and as the White House suggests its Fourth of July deadline may be just a suggestion, the top House Republicans are turning to their constituents to make the case for why the One Big, Beautiful Bill is a piece of must-pass legislation.

The Washington Reporter got an exclusive look at the cases that these Americans made; their reasons for backing the bill ranged from its provisions to help restore American manufacturing to the elimination of taxes on overtime pay for law enforcement.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R., Minn.), and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R., Mich.) all brought constituents in to D.C. to explain why this bill needs to pass.

“Slowly, over the last twenty years, we’ve watched manufacturing leave the U.S.,” Sam Palmeter, who works at one of the last two laser technology companies that is owned and operated in America. Palmeter, who is a McClain constituent, added that “what we’re really hoping for from the Big, Beautiful Bill is to see an investment into manufacturing.”

Paul Danos, the CEO of a family-owned offshore energy service company in Scalise’s district, said that from his perspective, the bill is important because of the “consistent lease sales that allow us to invest in the multi-billion dollar, multi-year projects in the Gulf of America.”

James Stewart, a retired sheriff in Emmer’s district, said that “no tax on overtime for law enforcement is a win in so many different ways. It helps the individual officers spend more time with their families.” Likewise, Josh McAllister, the Sheriff of Winn Parish, Louisiana, said that the bill will also help law enforcement officers like him fight illegal immigration.

Toni McAllister — Josh’s wife — said that from her perspective as the executive director of the Louisiana Loggers Association, there is also a lot to like in the bill. “As a small business,” she said, “we are looking forward to the deductions being permanent, and also to the bonus depreciations…we are encouraging our lawmakers to finish out the process and continue supporting small business owners like me.”