Americans for Prosperity-Indiana Hosts ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Celebration with Rep. Houchin

Written from press release:

Photos Courtesy of AFP-IN

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 18, 2025) — Americans for Prosperity-Indiana held a luncheon last week with U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin to celebrate passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a measure supporters say will expand economic opportunities across Indiana.

The event, billed as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Celebration,” brought together AFP-IN volunteers, activists and community members from Southern Indiana to hear directly from Houchin, who represents Indiana’s 9th Congressional District.

“This luncheon was a phenomenal opportunity for residents … to hear directly from their representative about how the OBBBA will benefit them,” AFP-IN State Director Josh Webb said in a statement. “Neighbors, friends, and activists came together to learn how the bill facilitates opportunities for economic growth across the Hoosier state.”

Houchin spoke with attendees about how the bill was passed in Congress and the impact supporters expect it will have on Hoosiers.

About Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a conservative political advocacy group founded in 2004 and backed by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. With chapters across the United States, AFP promotes limited government, lower taxes and fewer regulations, while opposing many progressive policies on health care, climate change and labor. AFP’s Indiana chapter regularly organizes events, volunteer activities and campaigns in support of policies it says promote “economic freedom” in the state.

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What the OBBBA Does

• Extends Tax Breaks: Permanently enshrines the 2017 Trump-era individual tax cuts, avoiding a scheduled tax increase.
• Deductions & Credits: Introduces temporary deductions for tips, overtime pay (up to $12,500 for individuals or $25,000 for couples), auto loan interest on U.S.-assembled vehicles, and a $200 increase to the child tax credit.
• Standard Deduction Boost: Makes the nearly doubled standard deduction permanent and provides a modest temporary boost through 2028.
• Small Business Support: Expands the 199A deduction to 23 percent and enhances immediate expensing for capital investments.
• Defense & Immigration Funding: Directs $150 billion to defense upgrades and another $150 billion to border enforcement and deportations, including expanded ICE operations.
• Cuts to Social Programs: Reduces Medicaid spending, imposes new work requirements, and cuts SNAP funding while shifting more costs to states.
• Clean Energy Rollback: Scales back incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, shifting emphasis to fossil fuel and traditional energy.
• Education Reforms: Caps graduate student borrowing, restructures repayment, and introduces tax breaks for private school scholarships.
• Other Provisions: Provides tax credits for semiconductor manufacturing, metallurgical coal, and NASA funding; raises asylum and visa fees; and rolls back Medicare’s drug negotiation authority.
• Fiscal Impact: The Congressional Budget Office projects deficits will rise by $2.8 trillion by 2034, with over 10 million Americans losing health insurance and widening income inequality.

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What the OBBBA Doesn’t Do

• Doesn’t Eliminate Social Security Taxes: While it offers deductions for seniors, it leaves Social Security taxes intact.
• Doesn’t Preserve Clean Energy Incentives: Instead of growing green energy support, the law reduces it.
• Doesn’t Expand Safety Net Protections: While it includes targeted rural hospital support, broader Medicaid and SNAP protections are reduced.
• Doesn’t Provide Across-the-Board Relief: Many benefits are temporary, income-capped, or skewed toward corporations and higher-income taxpayers.

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