House Ways and Means holds Las Vegas field hearing on "1 Big Beautiful Bill," tipped workers praise tax changes while Nevada officials warn of Medicaid and tour

LAS VEGAS — The House Ways and Means Committee convened a field hearing in Las Vegas to examine tax changes in H.R. 1, called the "1 Big Beautiful Bill," with witnesses and members debating whether the law helps working families or risks cutting health, nutrition and energy supports for Nevada residents.

Chairman Adrian Smith opened the hearing at YESCO Neon Sign Manufacturing and framed the bill as delivering permanent tax relief for workers and families through measures that include a $25,000 above-the-line deduction for tip income (commonly described at the hearing as "no tax on tips"), elimination of taxes on overtime and a new deduction affecting Social Security recipients. Ranking Member Richard Neal was recognized during opening remarks, and Representative Dina Titus and Representative Steven Horsford, both Nevadans, took part in the hearing.

The hearing assembled a mix of local workers and business leaders who described how changes would affect pay, hours and business investment. Patrick Rona, a server at RPM Italian, said, "This policy will let hardworking service professionals in Nevada, like me, keep more of what we earn." Sharon Simmons, a DoorDash driver, described the flexibility of gig work and said the tax changes would "literally allow me to see my family more often." Eric Byington, a paint foreman at YESCO, and Austin Robinson, director of manufacturing at Clickbond, said the bill would increase workers' take-home pay and encourage investment and hiring at small and medium manufacturers.

Nevada State Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and Representative Horsford offered a sharply different…