[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 3, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S447-S448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Trump Administration

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, with tax filing season underway, the 
American people are beginning to feel the impact of the working 
families tax cuts. They are seeing smaller tax bills, bigger refunds, 
and more money in their pockets. And perhaps one of the biggest boosts 
from this law is for the hard-working Americans who will now be able to 
deduct tips and overtime pay from their taxes.
  That is right. Thanks to the working families tax cuts millions of 
Americans who earn tips and work overtime will see tax relief on that 
income and save hundreds of dollars on their taxes. Six million 
Americans claimed tips on their taxes last year, and it is fair to say 
that for many of these hard-working people, no tax on tips is a game 
changer.
  Tyler, who is a waiter in Nevada, said:

       It will be nice to be able, instead of saving for taxes, to 
     be saving for our future.

  And he is not alone. Cora, who works at a restaurant in Iowa, echoed 
that. She said:

       In the service industry, too, you're always constantly 
     worried about what that end of the year number is going to be 
     . . . now with this we . . . have some relief with that too.

  We are not talking about an inconsequential sum of money. A waitress 
in California said she owed $900 in taxes last year.
  And Americans who earn tips already have plans where to put their tax 
savings. Some are planning to put it into

[[Page S448]]

their education and savings, toward groceries and rent, or as one 
mother in Michigan said, toward raising her four kids.
  Because of the working families tax cuts, when someone puts their 
tips in their pocket at the end of their shift, their money stays in 
their pocket.
  Republicans' landmark tax relief bill also created the new deduction 
for overtime pay. Overtime is a significant part of a lot of Americans' 
incomes: police officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, 
manufacturing workers, and tradespeople. But up until now, the impact 
of those extra hours and extra wages was muted by taxes--no longer. Now 
these hard-working Americans will be able to keep more of the money 
they earn when they spend extra hours away from their loved one, often 
doing very challenging jobs.
  This is especially true for nurses and other healthcare workers for 
whom overtime is a routine part of their week. One nurse in California 
said:

       Nurses are now asking for overtime, thanks to the no tax on 
     overtime provision.

  Whether it is more money for a vacation, for education, or for just 
paying for day-to-day expenses, the working family tax cuts is a game 
changer for a lot of Americans. And no tax on tips and overtime is on 
top of permanently lower tax rates, a higher standard deduction, a 
$2,000 tax credit, and so much more. It all adds up to hard-working 
Americans keeping more of their hard-earned money to spend, invest, and 
save how they see fit.
  Despite all that the working families tax cuts does for middle-income 
Americans, Democrats are once again peddling the lie that this bill is 
about tax breaks for billionaires. That obviously is very far from the 
truth. I have talked about some of the people who are benefiting from 
this bill today. Not a single one of them is a billionaire. They are 
not millionaires either. In fact, a lot of the people who are 
benefitting from the working families tax cuts live paycheck to 
paycheck. They work every day to have enough money to pay the bills, 
support their families, and maybe put something away for the future.
  That is who Republicans had in mind when we wrote this bill, and that 
is who is benefiting.
  Democrats can say what they want, but the American people are seeing 
the benefits from this bill with their own eyes.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant executive 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.