INTERVIEW: Rep. Stephanie Bice details the most important OBBB provisions, explains how Trump and Johnson are fighting for America

THE LOWDOWN:

• One of the lawmakers critically involved in rallying the troops behind the One Big, Beautiful Bill was Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.). Following the House’s historic session, and a snooze-worthy floor speech from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), Bice explained to the Washington Reporter what’s next.

• Now that the Big, Beautiful Bill is heading to President Donald Trump’s desk, Bice said that Americans in her home state of Oklahoma and around the country can expect to see the “immediate” impact of its historic border security funding.

• In order to secure the bill signing in time, Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) spent hours working with their allies in Congress, like Bice, as well as with holdouts in D.C. — all but one of whom ultimately signed off on the penultimate bill, before it passed by 4 votes, 218-214.

• Now that votes are done for the week, she is “looking forward to being back home and watching the fireworks in Oklahoma with my family and friends.”

The One Big, Beautiful Bill is finally nearing President Donald Trump’s desk, and it has many in and outside of Congress to thank.

One of the lawmakers critically involved in rallying the troops behind the critical bill was Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.). Following the House’s historic session, and a snooze-worthy floor speech from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), Bice explained to the Washington Reporter what’s next.

Bice said that “for now everybody is a little tired,” but that there is still a lot more to get done.

“Appropriations, the NDAA, the Farm Bill,” Bice said. “We do need to figure out how we can expand on President Trump’s domestic agenda.”

“This administration is all about delivering results and I know Congress stands ready to assist the president with this goal,” she continued. “I want to ensure that we are unleashing American energy because it is so important to my district, but also lowering prices at the pump and in grocery stores.”

Now that the Big, Beautiful Bill is heading to President Donald Trump’s desk, Bice said that Americans in her home state of Oklahoma and around the country can expect to see the “immediate” impact of its historic border security funding.

“Since taking office, President Trump has made safeguarding our nation and securing our border a critical priority,” Bice explained. “CBP has been working tirelessly to get dangerous illegal immigrants off our streets and this legislation will provide additional resources for our hard-working agents and allow us to hire new personnel.”

Bice said the bill “also fulfills one of President Trump’s biggest campaign promises — to build the wall at the southern border.”

“Physical infrastructure such as border walls, will provide much-needed relief for CBP officers who for years under President Biden were dealing with record crossings of hundreds of thousands per month. The over $30 billion in additional resources provided in the One Big Beautiful Bill will supercharge these efforts to apprehend those non-citizens who have broken our laws and fight back against human trafficking, fentanyl trafficking, and the cartels working near and at our southern border.”

In order to secure the bill signing in time, Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) spent hours working with their allies in Congress, like Bice, as well as with holdouts in D.C. — all but one of whom ultimately signed off on the penultimate bill, before it passed by4 votes, 218-214.

Bice and other top House Republicans scored an invite to the White House to hear from the administration. The Oklahoma Republican said the president “has been instrumental in every step of the process” and that when she “went to the White House, he emphasized to us how important this bill is to him and for our country.”

“He truly cares about the American people,” Bice said. “When he talks about providing tax cuts to Americans who earn tips or those who work overtime, you can tell he really wants to help these people succeed and put more money into their pockets rather than sending it to Washington.”

“It was an honor to be with him at the White House and to help get this bill across the finish line.”

However, Trump doesn’t get all the credit in Bice’s account.

“Huge kudos also goes to Speaker Mike Johnson,” Bice said. “The media has doubted him every step of the way and time and time and time again, he achieves what they call the impossible.”

“He has been able to successfully navigate very slim majorities,” Bice said. “He deserves a lot of credit on this legislation. And once again, this legislation is truly going to positively impact every American citizen.”

Among the bill’s many historic and broadly popular aspects include historic levels of support for border security funding. Bice, though, said her favorite “has to be the fact that we are preventing the largest tax hike in American history.”

“If we failed to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Oklahoma families would have gotten nearly $11,000 less per year for an average family of four,” Bice said, noting that “the new provisions [for] no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on social security…will have tangible results for oil field workers, servers, bartenders, working moms, [and] the tens of thousands of hourly employees working overtime to provide for their families.”

“Plus the impacts for seniors,” Bice continued. “Under this legislation, 88 percent of seniors would pay zero tax on their Social Security benefits because we are allowing individuals over 65 to deduct additional money on their taxable income.”

“This not only fulfills a key promise to protect seniors from being taxed on their retirement income, but also provides immediate financial breathing room without altering the Social Security program itself,” she said.

However, now that votes are done for the week, she is “looking forward to being back home and watching the fireworks in Oklahoma with my family and friends.”

While “it is an honor to serve in Washington, I love being home, and what many people don’t know about me is I actually love fireworks. [They’re] so patriotic, and I just love the sounds, the excitement, the colors. My favorite type are the willow ones in Orange, just like the Thunder and Oklahoma State.”

And she said that she “would be remiss if I didn’t say here, the NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by MVP SGA. Thunder Up!”

The Republicans’ top priority legislation passed without any Democratic support.

Below is a transcript of our interview with Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.), lightly edited for clarity.

Washington Reporter:

What provision are you most excited about in this bill?

Rep. Stephanie Bice:

While there are so many great provisions, I think it has to be the fact that we are preventing the largest tax hike in American history. If we failed to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Oklahoma families would have gotten nearly $11,000 less per year for an average family of four. Also, the new provisions no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on social security. These provisions will have tangible results for oil field workers, servers, bartenders, working moms, or the tens of thousands of hourly employees working overtime to provide for their families. Plus the impacts for seniors. Under this legislation, 88 percent of seniors would pay zero tax on their Social Security benefits because we are allowing individuals over 65 to deduct additional money on their taxable income. This not only fulfills a key promise to protect seniors from being taxed on their retirement income, but also provides immediate financial breathing room without altering the Social Security program itself.

Washington Reporter:

Do you think there will be a second reconciliation?

Rep. Stephanie Bice:

You know, I think for now everybody is a little tired. In all seriousness, I think we are thrilled that we successfully got this first package done. It is going to be monumental. We have a lot of work we still need to get through: appropriations, the NDAA, the Farm Bill. We do need to figure out how we can expand on President Trump’s domestic agenda. This administration is all about delivering results and I know Congress stands ready to assist the president with this goal. I want to ensure that we are unleashing American energy, because it is so important to my district, but also lowering prices at the pump and in grocery stores.

Washington Reporter:

When will we start to see the impact of the funding for border security and deportations?

Rep. Stephanie Bice:

The impact will be immediate. Since taking office, President Trump has made safeguarding our nation and securing our border a critical priority. CBP has been working tirelessly to get dangerous illegal immigrants off our streets and this legislation will provide additional resources for our hard working agents and allow us to hire new personnel. It also fulfills one of President Trump’s biggest campaign promises — to build the wall at the southern border. Physical infrastructure such as border walls will provide much needed relief for CBP officers who for years under President Biden were dealing with record crossings of hundreds of thousands per month. The over $30 billion in additional resources provided in the One Big Beautiful Bill will supercharge these efforts to apprehend those non-citizens who have broken our laws and fight back against human trafficking, fentanyl trafficking, and the cartels working near and at our southern border.

Washington Reporter:

How helpful was the leadership from Trump and from Speaker Johnson?

Rep. Stephanie Bice:

President Trump has been instrumental in every step of the process. When I went to the White House he emphasized to us how important this bill is to him and for our country. He truly cares about the American people. When he talks about providing tax cuts to Americans who earn tips or those who work overtime, you can tell he really wants to help these people succeed and put more money into their pockets rather than sending it to Washington. It was an honor to be with him at the White House and to help get this bill across the finish line. Huge kudos also goes to Speaker Mike Johnson. The media has doubted him every step of the way and time and time and time again, he achieves what they call the impossible. He has been able to successfully navigate very slim majorities. He deserves a lot of credit on this legislation. And once again, this legislation is truly going to positively impact every American citizen.

Washington Reporter:

How are you spending the Fourth of July?

Rep. Stephanie Bice:

I’m looking forward to being back home and watching the fireworks in Oklahoma with my family and friends. It is an honor to serve in Washington but I love being home, and what many people don’t know about me is I actually love fireworks. It is so patriotic, and I just love the sounds, the excitement, the colors. My favorite type are the willow ones in orange, just like the Thunder and Oklahoma State. And I would be remiss if I didn’t say here, the NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by MVP SGA. Thunder Up!