[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 202 (Wednesday, December 3, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S8456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         One Big Beautiful Bill

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, we are 4 weeks away from the new year and 
from the date that the 2017 tax relief for Americans was set to expire. 
Back in 2017, of course, Republicans passed a huge tax-relief package. 
We lowered tax rates for every income group, we doubled the child tax 
credit, and we nearly doubled the standard deduction.
  But all of that was scheduled to expire at the end of this year. 
Without action, Americans would have seen their tax rates increase and 
the child tax credit shrink by 50 percent. A typical family would have 
seen their taxes go up by about $1,700 a year. In my State of South 
Dakota, a typical family would have seen a $2,500 tax increase.
  Republicans were determined not to let that happen, so a priority for 
2025 became extending the 2017 tax relief--but not just extending it, 
making it permanent. We didn't want hard-working Americans to have to 
worry every few years that their tax bills were suddenly going to soar. 
So in July, we passed the Working Families Tax Cut to make permanent 
the 2017 tax relief. We made those lower tax rates permanent, we made 
the increased standard deduction permanent, and we made the increased 
child tax credit permanent. But we didn't stop there. We expanded the 
child tax credit even further and indexed it to inflation so that its 
value will never go down.
  We also further increased the standard deduction, exempting 
additional money from Americans' taxable income, and we added a new 
$6,000 bonus deduction for seniors, allowing Americans on Social 
Security to keep more of their money.
  That is still not all. We eliminated taxes on tips for millions of 
tip workers: Uber and Lyft drivers, hair stylists, delivery drivers, 
servers at restaurants. We also eliminated taxes on overtime pay for 
millions of hourly workers. Thanks to this provision, everyone from 
nurses and police officers to firefighters and paramedics will be able 
to keep more of their hard-earned money.
  We did still more because one aspect of prosperity is being able to 
keep more of what you earn. Another aspect is being able to earn more, 
so in addition to the individual tax relief, we also made permanent 
some of the 2017 tax law's business tax relief to help businesses grow 
and create new jobs and opportunities for workers. That included the 
lower tax rates for small and medium-sized businesses, the job-creating 
199A small business deduction, and full expensing for new equipment and 
for domestic research and development.
  Again, we went beyond the 2017 tax relief and added full expensing 
for new factories and factory improvements, so we can expect to see 
more goods made in America and, again, more jobs and opportunities for 
American workers.
  We also acted to protect countless family farms, ranches, and small 
businesses from the punitive death tax and all of the headaches and 
expense that come with planning for it.
  I am incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish for hard-
working Americans. We not only averted a massive tax hike on American 
families but were able to further lessen Americans' tax burden. Hard-
working Americans can be assured the Republicans will continue to work 
to enhance affordability, expand opportunity, and increase prosperity.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.