As a seasoned lawmaker, I can tell you that proposed legislation is never going to fully satisfy everyone at the table. I can also tell you that when our state’s most powerful progressive leaders are sounding the alarm and using extreme political talking points in opposition to proposed legislation, it’s usually something that would benefit our state. The latest example concerns H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
While our local and federal elected officials are claiming the passage of this bill will be ‘catastrophic’ for our state, they fail to mention the damaging consequences to our struggling small businessmen should this bill fail to pass. For starters, should H.R. 1 fail to pass, the critical estate tax exemptions for real property will expire. This would significantly diminish the ability for New Mexico businesses to transfer their estates to the next generation, impacting an estimated 19,956 family-owned farms.
Furthermore, the tax relief included in H.R. 1 is critical to our stability – as well as the financial wellbeing of all local and small businesses in our state– without it, the additional financial burden could be truly catastrophic. These impacts can help keep the small mom and pop businesses in business.
Farming and ranching is a tough business; we are subjected to constantly changing weather patterns, invasive plants, diseases, pests, government regulations, and market valuations. This federal legislation supports our efforts to overcome these obstacles. For example, I support the continued funding of USDA who is working with Mexico to eliminate New World Screw Worms. Without this funding, millions of animals including your fido will be saved from one of the most cruel deaths imageable.
Additionally, the enhanced small business deduction included in H.R. 1 will help New Mexico farmers, ranchers, and other small businesses expand, hire more workers, and invest more in their communities.
Congress is overdue in enacting a new comprehensive farm bill, the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ also includes investments and improvements in farming and ranching policy. It addresses how we secure rural schools, conservation of soil and water, specialty crops like pecans, chilis, and peanuts. This bill also includes the rebuilding of the farm safety net by updating and improving crop insurance, animal disease preparedness, and dairy research—all critical programs for New Mexico’s food security.
Finally, H.R. 1 invests in cattle health, supports producers recovering from disasters or depredation assuring these farms and ranches remain viable to pass along to future generations instead of being sold to large out-of-country corporations. It also reimburses cattle producers for loss due to depredation by federally protected predators because they alone withstand that financial burden. It also expands access to the livestock forage disaster program for producers experiencing drought.
For me, this isn’t just some political talking point, this concerns our very way of life and our ability to produce food and preserve our state’s cultural values. I encourage New Mexicans to buy New Mexico grown and products made in America. Please do your own research to see for yourselves what this legislation truly does for our state. If we just blindly followed everything our state’s radical progressives say, that would be a catastrophe.
Pat Woods is a farmer, rancher, and state senator for District 7 in the New Mexico Senate. He also serves as Senate Minority Whip.
