GOP bill contains hidden provisions

Proposal could sharply curb judicial injunctions

By: Riley Beggin
USA today

WASHINGTON - The Republican's massive policy bill would do more than extend income tax cuts, add restrictions to Medicaid and food stamps, and pour funding into President Donald Trump's deportation efforts.
..... The bill is likely to be one of the most important pieces of legislation passed during Trump's second term. the immense pressure from the White House to pass the bill makes it a convenient vehicle for lawmakers to add in their preferred policies and increase their chances of making it into law.
..... Still, the bill is not set in stone. The Senate will start considering the bill this week, [0602-06/2025] where it may undergo considerable changes. Here are nine parts of the bill you might not yet know about.

Easier to ignore court rulings

..... Republicans included a proviso in the bill that would restrict judges' ability to hold government officials accountable for violating court orders.
..... It comes as some judges consider contempt rulings against the Trump administration for bypassing court orders restricting their actions.
..... The legislation would bar judges from enforcing contempt rulings if they didn't first order a bond, which is commonly set at zero or not ordered in cases where people are claiming the government did something unconstitutional.
..... Democrats have argued it's a clear attempt to bypass the courts, while Republicans ahve argued it's an incentive to stop frivolous lawsuits by requiring plaintiffs to pay in.

A ban on regulating AI

..... The bill would allocate $500 million to help modernize government with the help of artificial intelligence - and would prevent states form crating new regulations to shape how AI is used or developed.
..... It would also block dozens of states from enforcing AI regulations and oversight structures they've already implemented. There is currently no federal AI regulation to take the place of those state policies.
..... Tech industry leaders support the approach, warning that regulation can get in the way of innovation in a new industry. Some Republicans in the Senate, however, have already raised concerns that the ban is not a good idea without a federal structure to take its place.

Cheaper gun silencers

..... Republicans added a provision to the bill that would get rid of a $200 registration fee for gun silencers that has existed for more than 90 years and removed a requirement for gun owners to register their silencers.
..... "Who asked for this - was it the assassin lobby?" said Representative Steven Horsford, D-Nevada, during a hearing on the legislation in May. [2025]
..... But Republicans argued that eliminating the fee aligns with the Second Amendment, which protects a right to bear arms, and protects gun users' hearing.

Tax-free gym memberships

..... The bill would qualify sports and fitness expenses as qualified medical care - allowing people to pay for them tax-free through their Health Savings Account.
..... People could spend up to $500 per year on gym memberships thorough their HSA, or $1,000 for a marred couple.
..... The benefit could not be sued at "a private club" owned by members, or a faculty that offers golf, hunting, sailing or riding facilities. The health and fitness part of the business also couldn't be "incidental to its overall function and purpose."

Purple Heath benefits

.....Some people who won a Purple Heart in the military - the decoration for service members who were wounded or killed in action - would qualify for a new income tax credit under the legislation.
..... Purple Heart recipients who lost a portion of their Social Security disability benefits because they got a job could get a higher earnings income tax credit to make up those lost Social Security benefits.

'Trump accounts' for kids

..... The bill would crate new savings accounts, dubbed "Trump accounts,: in which babies who are born between January 2025 and January 2029 can benefit for a one-time $1,000 payment form the federal government placed in the account.
..... Parents would then be able to contribute up to $5,000 per year. The savings would be invested in a stock fund that would grow with the stock market.
..... The child could be able to access a portion of the funds when they reach age 18 for things like education, training or buying their first house. They can use the full balance at age 30.

Pell grant and student loan changes

..... The bill includes a change to the Pell Grant program, which provides federal aid to low-income students to attend colleges and universities.
..... Right now, students are considered full time and qualify for the maximum amount of aid if the take 12 credits per semester.
..... The bill would change that to 15 credits per semester, which the National College Attainment Network estimated would result in a nealry $1,500 cut in benefits for students who can't increase their course load due to work or care-taking.
..... It wold also end multiple existents programs for people to pay back their student loans, including a Biden-era program that tailored payment requirements to a person's income. It would be replaced with a new fixed-rate program.

Changing foreign workers

..... Migrant often move to there countries in part to send money home to their family or community abroad. The United States is the world's largest source of these transfers, known as remittances.
..... The GOP bill would implement a 3.5% tax on those transfers, which must be paid by the person sending the money. It would include an exemption for U.S. citizens and national sending money abroad.

New immigration fees

..... The GOP proposal would charge new fees for people seeking to immigrate to the United States.
..... Among the proposed fees: $1,000 to request asylum, $550 payments every six months for work authorization, $500 to apply for w temporary protected status, $1,000 for undocumented immigrant paroled into the country, and $3,500 to sponsor unaccompanied child migrants.

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