It’s Never Quite What He Says
Key Points
- The One Big Beautiful Bill is extremely unpopular.
- Rep. Langworthy (R-NY23) is still trying to “sell” it.
- Langworthy says there’s no tax on Social Security, but there is.
- Langworthy says there’s no tax on tips, but there is.
- Langworthy never tells us the rest of the story.
By the Numbers
- 4%+ after-tax income boost for $460k–$1.1M earners
- $1 Trillion cut from Medicaid (CBO)
- $3.4 Trillion added to the deficit
- $490 Billion in Medicare cuts via PAYGO
Old Time Radio
Paul Harvey was a prominent Chicago radio personality from the 1940s through the 2000s. His “Rest of the Story” segments featured stories with crucial details revealed only at the end, concluding with, “And now you know…the rest of the story.”
Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY23) is like Paul Harvey to a point. Langworthy tells a story that pushes Republican talking points while withholding key details. But unlike Paul Harvey, Langworthy never tells us the rest of the story.
Here’s the story Langworthy won’t tell us.
Langworthy’s August 17, 2025 “Weekly Update”
In his August 17, 2025 “Weekly Update,” Rep. Langworthy praised the virtues of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), passed by Republicans in July. Yet the OBBB remains one of the most unpopular pieces of legislation in decades. About 60% of people have a negative opinion of the OBBB.
Things are so bad, that according to an article in the Daily Beast, the “White House Scrambles to Rename ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ as Backlash Rages,” Republican strategists are floating new names for the OBBB, like “Working Family Tax Cuts” or “Trump Working Family Tax Cuts.” But even a new name can’t hide the disaster that is the OBBB.
Most of the tax breaks go to the top 1%. For example, people earning between $460,000 and $1.1 million will see their after-tax incomes rise by more than 4%. That’s tens of thousands of dollars.
Langworthy doesn’t talk about the $1 trillion cut from Medicaid. He doesn’t discuss the millions of people who will lose their health insurance, the $3.4 trillion added to the deficit, the $490 billion inthe millions of people losing food benefits, or Medicare cuts, the rural hospitals that will be forced to close.
Promise: “No Tax on Social Security”
Reality: Social Security Is Still Taxed
Langworthy claimed: “88% of seniors will no longer pay federal taxes on Social Security benefits.”
- Trump promised to eliminate all Social Security taxes. He didn’t.
- The bill only adds a $6,000 deduction for seniors 65+, effective only for the years 2025–2028.
- Before the OBBB, 64% of seniors paid no taxes on benefits.
- After the OBBB, 6.5 million seniors will still pay taxes on their Social Security.
- State taxes? It still applies in many states.
The reality: Social Security is still taxed. Promise made, promise broken.
Promise: “No Tax on Tips”
Reality: Some Tips Are Still Taxed
Langworthy also boasted: “No Tax on Tips…workers will keep an average of $1,500 more each year.”
- 30% of tipped workers already earn too little to pay income taxes.
- Tips are still subject to payroll taxes and many state income taxes.
- Not all tips qualify:
- Tips over $25,000 remain taxable
- Only “qualified” occupations qualify — IRS will decide who counts
The reality: some relief, but not “no tax.” Another promise made, another promise broken.
Tip Deduction Quick Check
- Already pay $0 income tax? No change.
- Tips over $25,000? Taxed.
- Occupation not on IRS list? Taxed.
- Payroll taxes? Still owed.
And Now You Know…the Rest of the Story
The One Big Beautiful Bill remains staggeringly unpopular. It delivers billions to the wealthy, guts Medicaid, takes food from hungry people, explodes the deficit, and breaks the campaign promises that got Republicans elected in the first place.
Paul Harvey gave his listeners the rest of the story. Langworthy never does. Langworthy never talks about the “bad” parts of the OBBB that will hurt his own constituents. He’s counting on us not to notice. But we do.
References
- Daily Beast: “White House Scrambles to Rename ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ as Backlash Rages.”
- Bipartisan Policy Center: How “No Tax on Tips” Works in the Bill.
- IRS: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Tax Deductions.
- White House: “No Tax on Social Security” Release.
- CBO, CNBC, PBS reporting.
