Las Vegas workers tell Congress: “This bill changes everything”

By Kristen Kniep  

Nevada News and View

Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee held a field hearing in Las Vegas to talk about a major win for working Americans: the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill.

Backed by President Trump and House Republicans, the bill aims to lower taxes, reward hard work, and help families keep more of what they earn.

The hearing was held in Las Vegas, not just to promote the bill, but to show real people how it’s going to help them.

Local workers testified and made it clear: this bill was going to make life easier and better for folks who actually punch a clock.

What the New Law Does

With the bill now passed and signed by President Trump, these changes are on their way:

—No federal income tax on tips. That’s huge in Las Vegas, where over 1 in 5 workers rely on tips. For someone earning around $15,000 a year in tips, that’s about $1,300 back in their pocket.

—No tax on overtime pay. If you’re working late or taking extra shifts, your overtime wages won’t be taxed by the feds anymore, saving the average worker about $1,400 a year.

—Bigger child tax credits and Trump Accounts: Families will now get a $1,000-per-child tax credit in a special savings account to use for school, health care, or housing. The standard deduction also stays permanently higher.

—Tax relief for seniors: With more than $63 billion in cuts, retirees on fixed incomes will get to keep more of their money instead of sending it to Washington.

The Suits

Chairman Jason Smith (MO) opened the meeting, thanking YESCO for hosting the event and highlighting Las Vegas workers’ dependence on tip income.

“This city leads the nation in the share of workers who earn tips.” Smith observed, “No Tax On Tips will translate into over $230 million back into the pockets of tipped workers in just the Las Vegas Metro area.”

To the witnesses, he expressed gratitude for their presence and for sharing how the One Big Beautiful Bill will affect them in their day-to-day lives.

And he highlighted the left’s lack of consideration for regular Americans:

Smith then turned the mic over to Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) who expressed disappointment in the support of the bill, stating, “It’s a shame that you’re here to highlight a bill that will be so disastrous for so many Nevadans and our long-term future.”

The general sentiment from Horsford and other Democrats on the panel was that the bill supports “billionaires” and hurts working families.

They complained that the tax cuts for average workers were “temporary” — potentially expiring in 2 years unless extended otherwise — while those for more affluent citizens are permanent.

The Nevadans

The Republican witnesses included six working-class Las Vegas residents. The Democrat’s sole witness was a Nevada politician.

The Republicans featured residents who voiced their first-hand experience and what they think the bill will do for them.

The Democrats brought in Nevada State Sen. Nicole Cannizarro, a partisan Democrat who recently announced her 2026 candidacy for attorney general.

The worker-witnesses were:

—Patrick Wrona, Server, RPM Italian

—Sharon Simmons, Driver, DoorDash

—Eric Byington, Paint Foreman, YESCO

—Austin Robinson, Director of Manufacturing, Click Bond

—Nancy Overman, Senior and Retired Hospital/Hospice Volunteer Manager

—Yadusha Jones, Mother and Small Business Owner, Henderson, Nevada

Each of the witnesses told a different story, but they all pointed back to the same idea: life is expensive, and when you work hard you should be able to get ahead.

A Nevada Story: Mr. Byington and YESCO

Eric Byington is a longtime employee at YESCO, the Las Vegas sign company that’s been lighting up the Strip since 1920.

YESCO built the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign and maintains it to this day. They’re a symbol of local pride and hard work.

Byington spoke about what it means to earn your paycheck through long hours and skilled hands and talked about having seen the city change over the decades.

“I’ve been a working-class person my whole life,” he testified. “I’ve been here 34 years . . . and for the first time in a while I think we have some hope.”

With the new tax changes, workers like Byington, and the employees under him, will get to keep more of what they earn.

The “Q&A”

After the witnesses gave their testimonies the question-and-answers portion began — although it seemed less of a moment to hear from the witnesses and more like a chance for the congressmembers to talk about why they’re right and the other guys are wrong.

They did ask some questions, but overall not too much was added to the discussion.

Maybe that’s just my lack of experience in the political field. Lots of talk, but sometimes it’s difficult for me to get to the meat of what we’re really discussing.

Republicans did make sure it was clear — abundantly so — that the witnesses in the hearing were not billionaires and were going to benefit from this bill.

And Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) and Canizzarro shared a heated exchange, both seeming to believe the other was lying through their teeth.