President Donald Trump’s signature legislation — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — became law on Independence Day. With promises of transformational tax relief, border security and more, the question that has constantly been at the forefront of the minds of many Americans and industry experts is whether, beneath the political rhetoric, lies something darker.
Despite the doom and gloom from many, there’s a lot to celebrate. For many Maryland families, the immediate benefits are real. The White House, for example, projects that typical two-child family households will see $8,300 to $12,200 more in take-home pay over the next four years, while single earners stand to gain $4,700 to $8,400. These gains will come from making the 2017 tax cuts, made during Trump’s first term, permanent. It will eliminate federal taxes on tips and on overtime, which will affect 4% and another 21% of Marylanders, respectively, and it will remove taxes on Social Security income. That alone will assist roughly 1 million Maryland seniors.
Approximately 86,000 small businesses across Maryland (41% of the total) can now claim enhanced pass-through deductions, while farmers will have the ability to benefit from permanent 100% bonus depreciation on capital assets and other programs. It is estimated that agricultural producers will stand to spend nearly $66 billion on new investments over 10 years as a result.
However, all budgets need to be balanced, and the cost to many Marylanders may be extraordinary (particularly for the state’s most vulnerable residents). Current state projections now show 175,000 Marylanders will lose Medicaid coverage, with the state losing up to $2.7 billion annually in federal funding when fully implemented. The cuts are projected to disproportionately impact rural communities, children, seniors and disabled residents who depend on Medicaid.
Maryland’s rural hospitals may also face particular peril. Rural hospitals nationwide could lose 21 cents of every dollar in Medicaid funding. This, no doubt, threatens closures in communities already struggling with health care access. Gov. Wes Moore warned that rural hospitals could lose $250 million.
The bill allocates over $170 billion nationally for immigration enforcement, including $45 billion for detention facilities and massive Border Patrol expansion. Meanwhile, “sanctuary” jurisdictions in Maryland will face potential federal funding cuts for defying the federal government in its efforts to deport illegal aliens.
The One Big Beautiful Bill presents Maryland with a fundamental trade-off: immediate tax relief and increased wages for many families against potentially long-term damage to health care, education and social services. This “beautiful” bill delivers on many good things, but Maryland families will ultimately decide whether the price, paid by our most vulnerable residents, was worth it.
Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.