Turmoil in the Middle East

Yesterday, I joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

My position is clear. The United States needs to protect American troops, our allies, and our interests. A nuclear Iran would lead to devastation throughout the entire Gulf Region and beyond. Our nation must continue to stand with Israel while taking measured steps as President Trump has done. We should not have American engagement on the ground.

There is a stark difference in approach between Israel and Iran. The Israelis are targeting nuclear facilities and energy sources that the Iranians use to fund terrorism and prop up their regime. Conversely, the Iranians are targeting civilian populations.

We then switched gears to discuss the need for the Senate to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill. Seniors, middle class families, and small businesses need tax certainty. I hope the Senate does not deviate too far from the House passed legislation. You can watch our full conversation by clicking on the link below.

Delivering A Better Future Michiganders

On May 22^nd, the House passed transformative legislation, the Big Beautiful Bill Act, to deliver permanent tax relief for middle class families and small business job creators. H.R. 1 prevents the largest tax increase in history while reducing taxes for Americans making $30,000 - $80,000 by 15%.

Additionally, this measure provides a $4,000 tax deduction for low- and middle-income seniors while also delivering on President Trump’s promise of no tax on tips for individuals such as bartenders, barbers, waitstaff, hairstylists, and nail technicians.

This measure also includes a no tax on overtime provision to increase pay for autoworkers, police officers, nurses, firefighters, and other in-demand jobs. Overall, H.R. 1 is estimated to raise take-home pay for a median-income household with two children by roughly $4,000-$5,000.

The good news doesn't stop there. H.R. 1 also makes auto loan interest on a new vehicle tax-deductible, a provision that I championed to increase Michigan manufacturing and make buying a new car more affordable. Furthermore, the One Big Beautiful Bill embraces pro-family policies by increasing the Child Tax Credit, enhancing the Adoption Tax Credit, expanding 529 savings accounts, and establishing savings accounts for newborns.

Commonsense Reforms: Dispelling Medicaid Myths

Importantly, H.R. 1 moves to protect and preserve Medicaid for those who need it the most, such as low-income mothers, children, the elderly, and individuals with a disability, by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse of this vital program.

Under the status quo, states receive almost seven times more federal funding for every dollar spent on able-bodied, working-age adults than they do for children, pregnant women, seniors, or individuals with disabilities. This status quo is not only unacceptable, it is wrong.

H.R. 1 simply requires capable adults without dependents to verify they’ve worked, volunteered, participated in job-training, or furthered their education for 80 hours a month.

This measure also stops illegal immigrants from accessing taxpayer funded assistance, cracks down on those 1.6 million individuals enrolled in multiple state Medicaid programs, and strives to reduce the mountain of improper payments that range somewhere between $500 billion and $1 trillion.

On May 31st, I hosted a telephone town hall with residents across Southwest Michigan. During our conversation, I specifically asked those participating in the call the following question, "Do you support undocumented individuals who are illegally present in the United States receiving taxpayer benefits?

A clear majority, 53% of respondents, do not support the status quo, while only 29% responded they did, and 18% were unsure. 

Reducing Wasteful Federal Spending 

The federal government has gotten so large that it is sometimes hard to believe the programs that get funded with your taxpayer dollars. While some in Washington choose to put their head in the sand or say there isn't anything that can be done, last week House Republicans passed a recessions package to cut billions in spending.

This comes at the same time as a former USAID employee pled guilty to participating in a $550,000,000 bribery scheme.

Below is a graphic of some of the most egregious things H.R. 4 eliminates that U.S. taxpayer dollars were previously funding. H.R. 4 passed by a vote of 214-212 with all Democrats voting against the legislation. 

West Point Graduation

On May 24th, I was honored to attend the graduation ceremony at West Point. It speaks volumes about the quality of individuals from across West Michigan to have 20% of Michigan's graduating class be candidates that I proudly nominated to our Service Academies. Congratulations to both Cooper Druzgal and Arthur Brown on their graduation! Thank you for your commitment to excellence and service to our nation! 

Sitting Down with Trish Regan

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Trish Regan about a host of issues facing our nation including immigration, the antisemitic attack in Colorado, restoring economic opportunity for middle class Michiganders, and how the One Big Beautiful Bill will lock in lower tax rates for individuals, families, and job-creating small businesses.

Trish and I then dove into a thoughtful discussion on the importance of cryptocurrency and the need to have a market structure in place that puts America in the driver's seat.

As our conversation came to a close, we discussed the use of the autopen during the Biden Administration, who was actually making the day to day decisions as President Biden declined, and why an investigation into what happened is necessary.

You can listen and watch our conversation by clicking on the image below. 

Meetings with Michiganders

On Wednesday, I met with Home Builders Association of Michigan Members from across Michigan, including HBAM President Aaron Hovestadt from Kalamazoo. We discussed housing affordability, regulatory reform, workforce development, and permanently extending pro-growth policies from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Did you know a whopping 23.8% of the price of a new home is due to regulatory compliance costs? 

Last week, I also met with agricultural leaders across our state from the Michigan Farm Bureau. We discussed the the importance of passing a farm bill, agricultural labor challenges, and how the One Big Beautiful Bill provides permanent death tax relief which would help the next generation of family farmers here in Michigan. 

Fighting For Michigan Farmers

At the end of May, I led a bipartisan group of more than 100 members in the House in calling for a freeze on H-2A wages. In Michigan and across our nation, family farms are struggling due in part to soaring H-2A labor costs. Washington should be working to help American farmers lower costs, not crushing them with outdated mandates that balloon their expenses and make it more difficult for these multigenerational farms to keep the lights on. Up North Live recently did an important story on this effort, you can watch their coverage by clicking below. 

Congressional Baseball Game

Last week, my Republican and Democrat colleagues put on our baseball uniforms for a great cause. The Congressional Baseball game is an annual tradition that has taken place since 1909.

I started at shortstop for the Republicans, and drove in two runs with a single early in the game. We defeated the Democrats by a score of 13-2, but, more importantly, the game raised roughly $2.8 million for charity! Thank you to everyone who watched came out to Nationals Park or watched on TV! Below is a clip of my hit that helped get the Republicans going early and got over 500,000 views on Instagram! 

Thank you for reading this edition of the Huddle. With news breaking so quickly, I encourage you to follow me on Facebook, X, and Instagram. If you or someone you know needs assistance with a federal agency, please don't hesitate to contact my office in Holland, my office in Portage, or on the web at Huizenga.House.Gov.