[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 15, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2913-H2920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR TAX POLICIES THAT SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, Pursuant to House Resolution
1147, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 1156) expressing support for
tax policies that support working families, and ask for its immediate
consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1174, the
resolution is considered read.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1156
Whereas, on July 4, 2025, the President signed Public Law
119-21, commonly known as the ``Working Families Tax Cuts'';
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts prevented a
$2,600,000,000,000 tax hike on taxpayers making less than
$400,000 per year;
Whereas, for the 2025 tax year, the Working Families Tax
Cuts helped deliver an estimated $222,000,000,000 in tax
refunds, putting money directly back into Americans' wallets;
Whereas, for the 2026 tax year, the Working Families Tax
Cuts are anticipated to deliver an average tax cut of $3,750,
helping make America affordable again;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts ensure that families
of four making under $73,000 will generally face zero Federal
income tax liability;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts will result in a 15
percent tax cut for Americans whose income is in the bottom
40 percent, with the largest percentage reduction going to
the bottom 20 percent;
Whereas the share of total income taxes paid by Americans
whose income is in the top 1 percent will increase to nearly
40 percent as a result of the Working Families Tax Cuts,
while the share paid by Americans in the remaining 99 percent
will decrease to 60 percent;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts enacted ``no tax on
tips'', which will provide millions of tipped workers with
$32,000,000,000 of tax relief;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts enacted ``no tax on
overtime'', which will provide hard-working Americans with a
$90,000,000,000 tax cut on their overtime pay;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts provide a new
deduction for interest on auto loans for new American-made
vehicles, lowering costs and helping more Americans get
behind the wheel;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts honor a lifetime of
hard work by American seniors by providing them with a
deduction of up to $6,000 per year;
Whereas, to date, nearly 45 percent of tax returns filed
this tax season have claimed at least one of these four new
tax cuts;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts help jump-start the
American dream for millions of youth by making a down payment
of over $15,000,000,000 in tax-advantaged investment accounts
for American children;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts permanently increase
the standard deduction, delivering $205,000,000,000 in new
tax relief to the 90 percent of earners who claim it;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts permanently expand
the child tax credit, increasing the maximum credit amount to
$2,200 per child and ensuring that the credit will not lose
value due to inflation;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts expands the
accessibility of the $17,280 adoption tax credit so that all
families who adopt, regardless of income, can benefit;
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts expands educational
freedom and choice for working families by ensuring 529
accounts can now cover costs associated with trade schools or
K-12 educational expenses; and
Whereas the Working Families Tax Cuts expands access to
health savings accounts for more than 10 million Americans to
help control health care costs and promotes preventive care
by allowing patients to pair these accounts with innovative
direct primary care and easier access to telehealth: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses its support for tax policies that support
working families and let them keep more of their hard-earned
money; and
(2) recognizes the significant tax relief provided by the
Working Families Tax Cuts for hardworking Americans.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution shall be debatable for 1
hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from
California (Mr. Thompson) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith).
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1156 and the working
families tax cuts, which have led to this year's historic tax refund
season.
Today, April 15, is tax day. The IRS typically receives around 24
percent of tax returns in April. What millions of Americans are finding
out today is that their tax refund is significantly larger than it has
been in the past, thanks to the working families tax cuts.
Refunds this tax season have increased by 11 percent, with the
average refund over $3,400. Much of that relief is thanks to the
policies championed by President Trump. Over 6 million Americans have
claimed no tax on tips, 25 million Americans have claimed no tax on
overtime, and 30 million taxpayers claimed the Social Security
deduction. Over 1 million Americans claimed the no tax on auto loan
interest.
Who are the folks claiming these deductions? It is working-class
Americans. It is not millionaires. It is not billionaires. Overall,
nearly half of all tax filers this season claimed at least one of those
key provisions.
Under this tax relief, tipped workers get, on average, a $1,300 tax
cut. Hourly workers get, on average, a $1,400 tax cut from no tax on
overtime. A $12,000 deduction for a married couple on Social Security
means a more secure retirement.
When Republicans enacted the working families tax cuts, we made
America's workers, families, farmers, and small businesses our top
priority.
An inconvenient fact that the Democrats don't talk about is that the
share of income taxes paid by the top 1 percent actually went up from
37 percent to 40 percent. The very rich are paying a higher share of
taxes today than they were before passage of this bill. Why? It is
because the other 99 percent of Americans saw the share of their taxes
go down, from 63 percent to 60 percent.
Don't take my word for it. Listen to the stories of everyday
Americans, like Raymond Huff from Colorado, who testified before the
Ways and Means Committee that the working families tax cuts will help
him grow his small business and hire more workers; Nancy Overman from
Nevada, who testified that she will be able to afford basic necessities
without draining her retirement savings, thanks to the no tax on Social
Security; Sharon Simmons, a DoorDash driver--who showed up at the White
House yesterday, in fact--originally from my home State of Missouri,
who testified to how no tax on tips will help her better afford her
husband's medical treatments and travel to Missouri to see her family
more often; or the waitress in my district who told me that she got a
$10,000 tax refund, thanks to the no tax on tips, the expanded child
tax credit, and other provisions. She told me, Mr. Speaker, that
because of that provision, she will be able to pay for her rent for an
entire year and a lot of food for her family.
That makes a huge impact on everyday Americans. Families have more
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money in their pockets today, thanks to a boosted and permanent child
tax credit of $2,200. When you add in the permanent increase and the
standard deduction, up to $31,500, a family of four earning $73,000 had
zero Federal tax liability this year.
When they controlled Washington, Democrats spent $10 trillion, and
they created a cost-of-living crisis where inflation went up almost 21
percent.
Under Republican tax relief, we expanded 529 accounts to cover K-12
education expenses and trade schools. We expanded health savings
accounts so that another 10 million Americans can better manage
healthcare costs. For those who are looking to adopt, they have more
access to the adoption tax credit, with $5,000 of that cost being
refundable.
Under Trump Accounts, newborn U.S. citizens in America get a $1,000
investment to start building a more secure financial future. It does
not matter if they live on a city block or on a county road. They
qualify.
Due to the working families tax cuts, Americans have more money to
buy school supplies and put food on their tables. Family farmers and
small businesses have more certainty and resources to invest, to grow,
and to hire. These are the results of Republican tax relief that puts
America's working families first.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I understand why my Republican colleagues are trying to
rename this bill the working families tax act because, while this bill
may be big--to the tune of $4.2 trillion that it adds to our national
debt--it is certainly not beautiful and certainly not for working
families.
In fact, on this tax day, this tells the real story. This is nothing
more than a betrayal of the American people. Families were promised
relief. Instead, they have been left to foot the bill.
No matter how my Republican friends try to spin it, Americans are
hurting. Costs are up across the board. At the pump, gas prices surged
over 21 percent in just 1 month, the largest increase in nearly 60
years.
At the grocery store, families are paying more for the basics.
Healthcare costs are rising, and this bill guts nearly $1 trillion from
our healthcare system, putting hospitals, skilled nursing facilities,
and clinics at risk, and threatening the coverage for millions of
Americans. When those cuts are finally realized, families will lose
their healthcare, and communities will lose their hospitals, their
clinics, and their skilled nursing facilities.
What did working families get in return? Yes, as the chairman pointed
out, some taxpayers got larger refunds this year. As a matter of fact,
the numbers are that, notwithstanding the fact that the President and
the Republicans promised the Americans that they would get a $1,000
additional tax return, it is $346 more than last year. They were
promised bigger refunds. Instead, those refunds fell 65 percent short
of what was advertised, and they failed to cover the high costs that
most families are facing.
To put it in simple terms, given that this is my friend Mr. Kelly's
bill, a prominent auto dealer in Pennsylvania, taxpayers were promised
an Escalade, but they instead got a go-kart. The gas for that go-kart
is going to be a heck of a lot more expensive this year than it was
last year. That is not relief. That is a broken promise anyway you cut
it.
Let's be clear about who this bill actually helps. It is not workers.
It is the ultrawealthy, the corporations, the venture capitalists, all
the people who didn't need a tax cut in this environment. Millionaires
are getting tax cuts tens of thousands of dollars larger than what
working families receive. Meanwhile, families making under $50,000 have
been left with the scraps.
Democrats have a different vision. We believe in using the tax code
to actually help the middle- and working-class families of our great
country.
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We want to provide tax relief for home buyers, for renters, and
affordable housing developers so families can finally afford a place to
live.
We want to expand the child tax credit and the Child and Dependent
Care Tax Credit so parents can afford to raise a family. We did that in
the last Congress with our child tax credit measure, which cut
childhood poverty in half. Our Republican friends allowed that to
expire.
We want to support family caregivers who sacrifice so much for their
loved ones, and we want to restore the enhanced Affordable Care Act
premium tax credits to lower healthcare costs for working families.
We want to allow union workers to deduct their dues, and we want to
lower energy bills and strengthen our grid by investing in clean
energy, which is affordable energy.
That is what it looks like to put working families first, not
rebranding, not gimmicks--real relief.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), the chairman of the
Subcommittee on Tax.
Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, now, for the first time, families across the country are
seeing the working families tax cuts show up where it matters: in their
paychecks and in refunds.
When this law was written, the goal was straightforward--to reward
work, support families, and prevent a massive tax increase from taking
place.
Today, the data shows it is doing just that. Across America, more
than 53 million filers claimed at least one of the new deductions. Over
25 million taxpayers claimed the overtime deduction. More than 6
million Americans claimed the deduction on tipped income. More than 30
million seniors paid no taxes on their Social Security benefits. More
than 1 million Americans claimed the no tax on car loan interest
deduction.
That is real relief tied directly to how Americans earn a living, and
you can see it in the results. The average tax refund is now over
$3,400. That is an 11 percent increase from last year. Families are
getting to keep more of their own hard-earned money.
More than 34 million families have claimed the enhanced, doubled, and
permanent child tax credit. Five million Trump accounts have been
opened. Think about what that means for the next generation. The
working families tax cuts provides families and children a foundation
to save, invest, and pursue their version of the American Dream.
Now, let's talk about Main Street. Before serving in Congress, I
spent my career in the private sector as a car dealership owner. I know
what it is like to try and manage your business and meet payroll while
making sure Washington gets its share, as well.
My district is home to one of the highest concentrations of small
manufacturers. These manufacturers are aiding President Trump in his
goal of employing American workers, producing right here at home, and
buying American.
Revitalizing the industrial might of the United States cannot happen
without the working families tax cuts restoring immediate expensing for
equipment and research and development.
The working families tax cuts also made the 20 percent small business
deduction permanent, providing certainty and stability for the mom-and-
pop shops who form the backbone of our communities.
In total, more than 12 million small business owners will see an
average of $7,000 in tax relief.
There were times when our family business would have enough money to
make payroll, but not enough money to pay ourselves. That is the
reality so many businesses face. Small business owners go through that
more than anybody else realizes. These are the real dollars that can be
reinvested into workers, equipment, or expansion.
From employers to employees, from children to seniors, this law is
reaching across the entire country and the entire economy.
People who do not ask for special treatment but only ask for
fairness, this law reflects that expectation. It aligns the tax code
with how Americans actually earn a living. It prevented a tax increase.
It guarantees stability and certainty, and it gave
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families and businesses the opportunity to keep more of their own
money.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Loudermilk). The gentleman's time has
expired.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out
that in my friend Mr. Kelly's district, 27,000 of his constituents will
face nutrition cuts, 24,000 will lose their health insurance, and 795
jobs will be lost due to canceling clean energy tax credits that were
in that big, ugly H.R. 1.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms.
Sewell), who is the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform.
Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, the big, ugly bill or, as it has been
renamed, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, is not working for families
in my district. In fact, on this tax day, I cannot believe that my
Republican colleagues are on the floor today celebrating a bill that is
exploding the deficit by $4.2 trillion, deepening income inequality,
stripping healthcare from working families, and taking food off the
tables of needy children.
Mr. Speaker, every day I hear from my constituents around Alabama's
Seventh Congressional District. They are talking about the fact that
nothing seems affordable anymore. What do I say to the single mother in
my district who is losing Medicaid coverage for her child because of
this bill? What do I say to the elderly neighbor who no longer
qualifies for SNAP or to the rural communities I represent who will
lose their only hospital because of this bill?
I am deeply saddened because Republicans could have chosen another
path. Instead of slashing $1 trillion from Medicaid, instead of
slashing $500 billion from Medicare, they could have worked with
Democrats to renew the fully refundable child tax credit that cut child
poverty in half and expanded economic prosperity for communities across
the Nation when Democrats were in the majority.
If my Republican colleagues wanted to help working families, they
could stand up to President Trump and stop his reckless trade war that
has created an affordability crisis.
Mr. Speaker, on this tax day, the American people are seeing exactly
what happens when Republicans are in charge. We are seeing tariff wars.
We are seeing real wars in the Middle East, tax giveaways for the
wealthy, exploding deficits, and an attack on our essential healthcare
programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
On this tax day, my constituents say enough is enough. This tax bill
has been a devastation to the people that I represent, and on this tax
day, I stand before you to say that working families tax cuts is a cut
for working families and not a cut to the wealthy.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Feenstra).
Mr. FEENSTRA. Mr. Speaker, today is tax day. Taxpayers across Iowa
are seeing real relief through bigger refunds and higher take-home pay
delivered by the historic working families tax cuts bill.
Let me be clear. This is real money back in the pockets of
hardworking families, small business owners, and farmers.
We have heard the numbers today, and they are historic--the largest
refund season in our Nation's history, with Iowans seeing an average
tax cut of over $3,000.
Mr. Speaker, let me tell you the rest of the story. I am hearing from
family farmers who now have the certainty that their operation will
stay in their family for generations to come because this bill includes
my provision to permanently double the death tax exemption.
I am hearing from hardworking parents excited to have access to
family medical leave, have double child tax credit, and a $1,000
downpayment for children through Trump's tax accounts.
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I am hearing from manufacturers and agricultural producers who are
finally seeing a path forward with affordable access to credit,
immediate expensing, and a permanent small-business deduction, giving
them the certainty they need to invest, grow, and create new jobs in
our communities.
I am hearing from waitresses, delivery drivers, tradesmen, and
millions of Americans who will finally keep more of what they earned
because we delivered no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on
Social Security.
Mr. Speaker, this is what an economic revival looks like. Through the
leadership of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, we
are restoring opportunity, rewarding work, and strengthening the
backbone of this country.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will point out that my friend from Iowa is facing a
situation in his district where 12,000 of his constituents will face
nutrition cuts. Mr. Speaker, 24,000 will lose health insurance, and 494
jobs will be lost due to canceling clean energy tax credits. All of
this is because of H.R. 1.
I find it hard to believe that farmers are jumping for joy. Because
of this legislation, tariffs, and an unauthorized war in the Middle
East, fertilizer prices for farmers are going through the roof. Fuel
prices for farmers are going through the roof, and farmers who are
trying to ship their products to other ports are being absolutely
devastated because the Strait of Hormuz has been closed. This bill also
added $4.2 trillion to the national debt.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California
(Ms. Chu), a great and distinguished member of the Ways and Means
Committee.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, on this tax day, working families are not
feeling the relief they were promised. They are struggling to pay rent,
to get the healthcare they need, and to fill up the car with gas.
Here is why. Last year, Republicans passed their big, ugly bill, the
single largest transfer of wealth from the poorest Americans to the
richest in history. This reverse Robin Hood fails to make life more
affordable for working families.
Because this legislation has become so resented by the American
people, Republicans chose to put forward this meaningless resolution
that is an empty rebranding exercise.
Here is what they are trying to hide. Under their big, ugly bill, the
top 0.1 percent of earners, who make about $11 million a year, receive
an average tax cut of $244,000 each. Compare that to what 40 million of
the lowest income households receive, just $10 a year, not even enough
for a meal.
This resolution even dares to say that their big, ugly law helped to
control healthcare costs. In reality, this bill kicks 15 million people
off their health insurance, off their Medicaid, and off their
Affordable Care Act insurance. This is the largest takeaway of
healthcare in history.
When Republicans say this is about helping working families, we must
ask: Which families? The data clearly shows that this law greatly
benefits those least in need while offering only minimal, symbolic
relief to those who are struggling the most.
On tax day, Republicans are spending time patting themselves on the
back for one of the most regressive and hurtful tax bills in modern
history, completely ignoring the real crises facing millions of
Americans.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, lies, lies, lies. Sometimes you have just
got to deal with common sense.
Who gets overtime? When we cut the tax on overtime, the CEO of the
pharmaceutical company who makes $12 million a year, does he get
overtime? As a matter of fact, most white-collar people don't get
overtime. Overtime is for the workingman. When we cut taxes on
overtime, it is obviously designed to benefit the workingman.
Who gets tips? The workingman and the workingwoman, that is who is
getting tips. When we cut taxes on tips, of course, we are aiming at
the average guy.
We have a special cut for seniors. Our seniors--wealthy people, not
normally--if you look at the special tax cut for seniors, we didn't
include the super-wealthy seniors. We were aiming at the average guy.
Wherever you look on your tax return, I beg America to look at how
much they paid in taxes a year ago and
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how much they paid in taxes this year. Again and again, the workingman
is going to find out that we have delivered a workingman's and
workingwoman's tax cut.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), a distinguished member of the
Ways and Means Committee and a strong voice for working people and
struggling families.
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
California for yielding.
I will tell you, I have never celebrated tax day until today because
I have the distinguished opportunity to comment on the one big, ugly
billionaire's bill. It is the gift that keeps on giving because I get
to talk about how much this tax bill fails to deliver on its promises.
Most glaringly, Republicans have promised that the average tax refund
would increase by over $1,000. Not so much. In fact, refunds are 65
percent less than promised. Refunds are nowhere near enough to cover
the additional costs that Americans are facing because of other failed
Republican policies.
Even considering the crumbs from the American table that Republicans
have tossed to working families, this pales in comparison to the
increased costs of healthcare, food, utilities, gasoline, and almost
every product.
Then, on top of all of this, Americans are facing the $1.2 trillion
cuts in Medicaid. They see their hospitals in urban areas and rural
areas closing because of it. Food assistance has been cut by $187
billion.
As we mark tax day this year, one thing is really clear: Republicans
have oversold their legislative accomplishment and riddled it with
gimmicks for working-class Americans while brandishing massive
giveaways to millionaires and billionaires.
Mr. Speaker, Republicans gave millionaires a tax cut that is 390
times the size of what they gave to workers and families making less
than $50,000.
What about the no tax on tips and no tax on overtime, they say?
Number one, it is a temporary benefit that is going to expire as soon
as you reelect them. Secondly, it is a gimmick because it is not a
total exemption. It phases out, and there are much smaller redemptions
in tax liability than people are expecting.
Let's be clear. The people who benefited most from the Republican tax
bill do not get tips. The one big, beautiful bill for billionaires made
the benefits for billionaires permanent and made no tax on tips
temporary.
Republicans are so well known to be good at messaging, but this time,
they can't message their way out of reality. American families are
feeling the pain every single day.
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Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, tax day is usually a very painful
reminder of how much of one's hard-earned money goes out the door.
Today would have been no different from the past if Democrats had
gotten their way and if Republicans had failed to pass the Working
Families Tax Cuts Act.
Take my district, for example, where a typical family of four's taxes
would have increased by 26 percent, costing them more than $1,300 a
year. For most families, $1,300 is not chump change. It is rent, a home
improvement project, or even about 7 weeks' worth of groceries.
However, today is different. The more thoughtful approach Republicans
took prevailed.
This year, Americans are seeing bigger paychecks, larger refunds, and
more opportunities for them and their families to build long-term
financial security.
Now, the same family of four with two kids earning up to $73,000 a
year who would have seen a 26 percent increase will have no Federal
income tax liability and will have their child tax credit permanently
increased to $2,200 per child. The relief does not stop there, with the
average tax refund being nearly $3,500 and an additional $6,000
standard deduction for America's seniors.
We also strengthened America's agriculture industry by permanently
doubling death tax relief and allowing producers to fully deduct new
equipment costs, helping family operations innovate and continue for
generations to come.
This is what real tax relief looks like, and it is exactly what
Republicans will continue fighting for here in Washington.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out to
the gentleman from Nebraska that 9,000 of his constituents will face
nutrition cuts because of this bill. Mr. Speaker, 19,000 will lose
their health insurance, and 3,098 jobs will be lost due to the
cancellation of the clean energy tax credits. His constituents will
share in the money that has been added to the national debt, $4.2
trillion added to the national debt by this bill so billionaires,
multimillionaires, and corporations can get huge tax cuts.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr.
Horsford), who is the former leader of the Nevada legislature and a
leader and strong voice for the workers of our country and his
district, especially the culinary and the hospitality workers.
Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the leader for yielding me
time.
Republicans first called this the big, beautiful bill. Now they are
calling it tax cuts for working families. Let's be clear, there is
nothing beautiful about promising relief and failing to deliver it.
That is the betrayal.
They told tipped workers that help was coming, but they refused to
make it permanent and left the subminimum wage stuck at $2.13 an hour.
They said they were fighting for overtime pay, but millions of workers
who rely on overtime still see no relief.
In Nevada, this bill does something even worse. It harms our gaming
economy. Instead of protecting workers and supporting one of our
State's key industries, they changed the wagering loss deduction,
creating uncertainty and penalizing the legitimate gaming industry.
That is not helping working people. That is hurting Nevada.
So let's call this what it is. This is not permanent where it should
be, it is not fair where it must be, and it does not deliver what was
promised.
Now, I didn't just come here to point out the problem. I came with
solutions. My TIP Improvement Act makes tax relief for tipped workers
permanent and fair. My No Tax on Overtime for All Workers Act ensures
every worker who earns overtime qualifies, not just a select few. My
FULL HOUSE Act fixes the gaming deduction once and for all, protecting
Nevada jobs and businesses.
Instead of voting on a self-glorifying resolution, let's bring
forward real solutions, bills that actually deliver for working
families and fix what this bill gets wrong.
Let's fix what is broken. Let's deliver what is promised, and let's
turn around this betrayal of a bill that is hurting the American
family, not making it successful.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to point out
that for years, Members in this body have tried to implement no tax on
tips. Never before did it ever become law until we passed it within the
Big Beautiful Bill Act. It delivered for a lot of tipped employees. In
fact, 6 million tipped employees used it this tax filing season.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr.
Schweikert).
Mr. SCHWEIKERT. Mr. Speaker, wouldn't it be fun if we actually did
these sorts of discussions and debates sort of like we do term papers
where you actually have to give the footnote of where the numbers come
from. That is because I hear numbers from my brothers and sisters on
the left, and I say: Where did that come from?
So the first number I am going to give you today, Mr. Speaker, from
the Joint Economic Committee, tomorrow is the first day that you
actually work for yourself, meaning the first 3\1/2\ months you have
been working to pay taxes, whether it be your property taxes, State
income taxes, or Federal taxes, Mr. Speaker. This is for the middle
income of our brothers and sisters.
Welcome to Tax Freedom Day, which technically might be actually
tomorrow.
The rest of the numbers I will give you, Mr. Speaker--if you want to
go on to the Senate Finance Committee's website, you will actually find
the facts and the numbers. I would love
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someone who is actually a researcher and likes to look at them, look
and then compare them to what the Democrats say and what we say.
For Arizona, we were one of the epicenters of inflation. Our brothers
and sisters in our State, after the Biden years of inflation, their
wages are just now starting to catch up. Our brothers and sisters were
poorer.
One of the things we did in the tax bill last summer is we actually
found a way to use the tax system to raise wages, whether it be because
of paying less taxes or some of the economic growth.
So let's actually walk through some of the numbers. For a couple,
there is a $6,800 real wage increase. You can find that on the Senate's
website, Mr. Speaker, $7,400 to $10,600 real take-home pay increase for
the average Arizona family. Remember, Mr. Speaker, this is a State that
was crushed. I think when the Biden inflation years were over, we came
in number two in the country.
Our brothers and sisters in that hardworking middle class are still
poorer today because we are just now starting to catch up.
I am actually taking a look at small business. I have 514,000 small
businesses that now have the 20 percent deduction locked in. Mr.
Speaker, tell me that isn't stability, when you start to walk through
things like the $6,000 bonus deduction for seniors in that middle realm
of income.
These things are remarkably important to growth, stability, and
actually having to deal with the fact that inflation is the biggest tax
in the last 40 years, those years of the Biden inflation. Inflation is
a tax.
In many ways what we did here in tax reform, we are just trying to
make things a little more even for those working brothers and sisters.
I have 822,000 families in Arizona who got an increase in the child
deduction of $2,200. I thought that was something the left actually
liked.
When you start to walk through our work, Mr. Speaker, to try to make
life better for my brothers and sisters in Arizona, that is why this
was so important.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out to
the gentleman from Arizona that 10,000 of his constituents will face
nutrition cuts and 26,000 will lose their healthcare. According to the
Joint Committee on Taxation, $4.2 trillion will be added to the
national debt in part because of his vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Brooklyn, New
York, (Mr. Jeffries), who is the distinguished Democratic leader of the
United States House of Representatives.
{time} 1620
Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, the
distinguished gentleman from the great State of California,
Representative Mike Thompson, for yielding and for his leadership.
We are here on the House floor debating this resolution that
Republicans have introduced on tax day to celebrate themselves. This is
an extraordinary thing. I have seen a lot during my time here in the
United States Congress for more than 10 years. I have never seen a
resolution introduced by Members of Congress, let alone a party, the
Republican Party, to celebrate themselves for a bill that has damaged
the American people.
However, if you are around this town long enough, I guess you see it
all.
I am confused with H. Res. 1156 because the first clause says:
Whereas, on July 4, 2025, the President signed Public Law 119-21,
commonly known as the ``Working Families Tax Cuts.'' It is commonly
known to whom?
Let's be clear with the American people: Republicans have made up
that name. Why? It is because the bill, the actual name of the bill in
Public Law 119-21 is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It is deeply
unpopular with the American people, who know it has been a disaster.
Now, I have respect for the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
He recently just called it the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. I am not
sure he is allowed to do that because Donald Trump has made clear: Walk
away from that name that he gave to the bill himself. Why? It is
because the American people understand it has been a disaster.
The American people know that this resolution is not worth the paper
that it is written on. It does nothing. It doesn't have the force of
law and does nothing to keep the promises that Donald Trump made to the
American people that on day one of his Presidency, he was going to
lower costs.
However, here in America, Mr. Speaker, costs haven't gone down, costs
have gone up because of decisions that Donald Trump and Republicans
have made to hurt the American people.
The Trump tariffs have cost everyday Americans thousands of dollars
in additional expense per year. That is an affirmative decision to hurt
the American people.
Mr. Speaker, Republicans have refused to extend the Affordable Care
Act tax credits. As a result of that very decision, more than 20
million Americans are experiencing dramatically increased health
insurance premiums, in some cases costs having increased by over $1,000
per month. That is an affirmative decision that Republicans have made
to increase costs.
Now, there is a reckless war of choice that has been raging in the
Middle East. More than a dozen brave American heroes have already lost
their lives. Hundreds have been seriously injured. Billions of taxpayer
dollars are being spent per day to drop bombs in the Middle East, and
yet Republicans are unwilling to spend a dime to make life more
affordable for the American people.
In fact, this reckless war of choice, this Trump Republican war over
in the Middle East has skyrocketed gas prices. All across America, more
than $4 a gallon, largest increase in gas prices on a monthly basis in
more than 60 years. Republicans have done that to the American people.
In the face of such policy failure and the one big, ugly bill being
such a disaster, we have this resolution in front of us, not worth the
paper that it is written on. It doesn't even reference the name of the
bill that was passed. Why is that? Because Republicans are trying to
hide what has been done to the American people.
Let me just briefly talk about five different things that are in the
one big, ugly bill that have caused real harm. One, the one big, ugly
bill contained the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, almost
a trillion dollar cut to Medicaid. As a result of that, almost 14
million Americans are at risk of losing their health insurance because
of the bill that Republicans are celebrating on the floor here today.
As a result of that Medicaid cut, the largest in history, hospitals,
nursing homes, and community-based health centers are at a risk of
closing all across the country, including in rural America, as a result
of the legislation that Republicans are celebrating here on the floor
today, though they are running away from the name of the bill because
it is such a disaster.
The second problem with the legislation that Republicans are
celebrating on the floor today is in that one big, ugly bill, they cut
$186 billion, Mr. Speaker, Republicans cut $186 billion in nutritional
assistance, the largest cut to SNAP in American history, literally
ripping food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans
in this one big, ugly bill. Now my Republican colleagues have the nerve
to come on the floor today with this resolution and celebrate that?
The third problem with the bill, amongst many, is that after cutting
Medicaid, ripping healthcare away from the American people, stealing
food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans, $75
billion in taxpayer money was set aside in a slush fund so that ICE can
brutalize and in some cases kill American citizens. There is a $75
billion slush fund for ICE in this one big, ugly bill that Republicans
are on the floor celebrating today, with active harm being done to the
American people, including resulting in the deaths, the cold-blooded
killing of two American citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
The fourth problem with this bill on tax day is who the beneficiaries
of this legislation include. Every economist who has studied this
legislation knows that it overwhelmingly and disproportionately
benefits the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected. In
[[Page H2918]]
fact, the American people know it, which is why this resolution doesn't
even make mention of the official name of the bill, because Republicans
are running away from it.
The bottom line is, Medicaid was cut. Nutritional assistance was cut.
ICE was given this slush fund of $75 billion; and billionaire donors to
the Republican Party were given massive tax breaks that they did not
need and do not deserve in an environment where working families,
everyday Americans, middle-class Americans, working-class Americans are
struggling to make ends meet, can't thrive, and can barely survive.
Yet, what was done in this one big, ugly bill that Republicans are
celebrating on the floor today? Massive tax breaks to Republican
billionaire donors, not making life more affordable to the American
people, because the American people know that life has become more
expensive, not less under Donald Trump's Presidency and failed
Republican policies.
The fifth problem, amongst many, is that for years Republicans have
portrayed themselves, Mr. Speaker, as the party of fiscal
responsibility. This is one of the most fiscally irresponsible bills
being celebrated on the floor today by Republicans ever to pass the
United States Congress, going all the way back to 1789.
It is legislation that increased the debt by more than $4 trillion to
give ICE a $75 billion slush fund to cut Medicaid, to rip food from the
mouths of children, and to subsidize the life-styles of the rich and
shameless. This is nothing to celebrate here on the floor today.
I am thankful to Mike Thompson, my colleague, and distinguished
members of the Ways and Means Committee for communicating to the
American people the truth. We will be opposing this resolution, a
resolution not worth the paper that it is written on, something that
doesn't even have the force of law, because as Democrats we are
committed to actually solving problems for the American people, for
making life more affordable for the American people, for ending this
reckless war of choice in the Middle East that has skyrocketed gas
prices, to fix our broken healthcare system, reverse these Medicaid
cuts that are part of this one big, ugly bill. Extend the Affordable
Care Act tax credits and actually commit to doing things, legislating--
not pontificating--legislating in ways that make life better for the
American people.
{time} 1630
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, because of the passage of the One
Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as the working families tax cuts,
the folks in Brooklyn, New York, will actually face an average tax cut
of $3,341. That is the area that the minority leader represents. I am
happy that Republicans could deliver tax relief for the folks in
Brooklyn, even though their Representative could not do that.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Smucker).
Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear some of the
falsehoods that Democrats are saying about this bill and some of the
contradictions they are making.
I just heard the Democrat leader say that Republicans are running
from this bill, but then, in the next sentence, he said we are on the
floor celebrating the bill. Which is it? Are we celebrating the bill,
or are we running from it?
You hear a lot of talk about the name of the bill. Naming is a funny
thing here. I get it. The American people don't care what it is named.
They want to know what it does for them.
What I have to tell you is that my constituents, my taxpayers, those
who have filed taxes in my district, think it is a beautiful bill, and
they know it is a Working Families Tax Cut Act because they have
experienced it. They have more money back in their pockets after filing
their taxes this year. Families are averaging $3,500 in tax cuts.
Refunds are up nearly 11 percent.
One of the other things we heard from the Democrats today was talking
about specific provisions in the bill. No tax on tips, they have railed
against that. Yet, we had a Democrat Member just come to the floor and
say he wants to make that permanent. So which is it: do you like it, or
don't you like it? In fact, we could have made it permanent had we had
any Democrat support when we passed this bill in the first place.
Instead, every Democrat voted against no tax on tips, which is very
important to people in the hospitality industry in my district and
other industries, as well.
Every Democrat speaking today voted against this bill, which
prevented what would have been the largest tax increase for working
families all across my district and all across the State.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds
to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker).
Mr. SMUCKER. Every Democrat voted against no tax on overtime, which
20 million Americans have taken advantage of.
Mr. Speaker, in the few seconds I have left, I want to address one
additional thing we have heard from the Democrat side, that this is
regressive. Untrue. Look at the facts.
We already, of all developed nations around the world, have the most
progressive taxation system, which means the wealthy pay more than they
do in other countries, and it becomes even more progressive after this
bill is passed. This year, the wealthy are paying a higher percentage
of total taxes than they were in the previous year due to this bill.
Mr. Speaker, this is a great bill for the American people. People in
my district know that. I don't understand what the Democrats are
saying, but certainly, people believe this is a great bill for them.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much
time I have remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 11 minutes remaining.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out for
the gentleman from Pennsylvania that 15,000 people in his district will
face nutrition cuts because of this bill, 18,000 will lose their
healthcare, and his constituents are going to be on the hook for part
of that $4.2 trillion that this bill added to the national debt.
I thank him for reminding us that this bill is regressive. I don't
think anybody on our side has mentioned that, so I thank him very much
for the reminder that this is, in fact, a regressive bill.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to just take a second to talk a little bit
about the horrific cuts to healthcare that are in this big, beautiful,
big, ugly, H.R. 1, whatever you want to call it. This bill cut $1
trillion from the Medicaid budget. You can't take a trillion dollars
out of healthcare without seeing that ripple across, in a negative way,
every community across our country, every congressional district across
our great country.
Hospitals will close. Clinics will close. Skilled nursing facilities
will close. The ones that are able to stay open are going to have to
make big cuts. They are going to have to lay people off. They are going
to have to forgo everything from remodeling and improvements in
equipment to seismic retrofits.
All of this is truncating people's access to quality healthcare in
their district. It is going to be for everybody, not just people who
are on Medicaid. If you have all the money in the world, or if you have
the best insurance policy in the world, if you become ill or injured
and go to the hospital to get help, to get your life saved, and that
hospital is still open or that clinic is still open, it means they made
drastic cuts to keep it open. You better hope that the person you need
to save your life isn't the person they fired to keep the doors open.
Rural America, districts such as mine, is really going to be hurt. We
were told that we did a $50 billion rural slush fund to help those
areas, but they cut $136 billion from rural healthcare funding. I may
be from a rural area, but they taught math good enough that I know that
$50 billion doesn't make up for a $136 billion loss.
Yes, every Democrat voted against it. How could they not? This
devastates healthcare in all of our districts and all of your
districts. I want to remind you that it also adds $4.2 trillion to the
national debt. Future generations will be saddled with this debt,
saddled with a debt that right now I think is $37 trillion, saddled
with a debt that was grown by $4.2 trillion just to be able to
[[Page H2919]]
give a tax cut to the richest people and corporations across this
country, people who did not need a tax cut in this fiscal environment.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis).
Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, today, millions of Americans across the
country are benefiting from the working families tax cuts that
President Trump and Republicans have passed.
The reality is that when you speak to people in my district--
teachers, firefighters, police officers, homeowners, small business
owners, senior citizens, parents--they are seeing tremendous savings.
They are either paying less in Federal taxes or are receiving a
substantial refund, starting with the $40,000 SALT deduction, which was
quadrupled. That is benefiting homeowners.
The leader, a fellow Representative from New York City, should know
the reason we needed the State and local tax deduction was because our
mayor and our Governor kept hammering us to death.
{time} 1640
We are providing the relief that they so desperately need. Eighty-
eight percent of seniors across the country, 52 million seniors will
benefit from the provision of Social Security tax being refunded to
them. The standard deduction nearly tripled from where it was in 2016.
The $2,200 child tax credit has been extended. The no tax on tips
provisions will bring in $1,300 in relief for an average waitress in
our district.
Permanently lowering those tax rates was a significant win not for
the wealthy but for, perhaps a first time in a long time, the middle
class, the working class, and the senior citizen that relies on Social
Security.
Let me also remind my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that
we have seen tax revenue increase. Since President Trump first enacted
those tax cuts in 2017, we have seen tax revenue go up, despite there
being these tax cuts. It went up from $3.3 trillion to $5.6 trillion in
fiscal year 2026 and even further after this bill was enacted.
The GDP at the same period grew from $18 trillion to $31 trillion
because these were tax cuts that helped our economy grow, expand, and
create jobs.
While the Democrats all voted ``no,'' they all wanted to see your
taxes increase 22 percent, today, on average, Americans are seeing 11
percent in savings, and it is because of President Donald Trump and
this Republican Congress that did what we said we are going to do. A
lot of politicians talk about cutting taxes. We actually did.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will point out that in the gentlewoman's district in
New York 30,000 of her constituents will face nutrition cuts. Mr.
Speaker, 40,000 will lose their healthcare. Mr. Speaker, 123 jobs will
be lost due to canceling clean energy tax cuts, and, again, $4.2
trillion will be added to the national debt because of that vote.
Mr. Speaker, some of my colleagues say this Republican tax law has
winners and losers, and they are right. The winners are millionaires
taking home over $90,000 a year in tax breaks. That must be nice.
However, for everyone else, working families, seniors, the so-called
nongilded class, this bill is a loss. Any meager tax relief they might
see is wiped out by the reality of this economy: $4.2 trillion added to
our national debt, $1,700 a year in tariff tax hitting every American
household, rising grocery prices that families feel every single week,
skyrocketing healthcare premiums, hundreds of billions spent on a cruel
immigration crackdown, and another endless war in the Middle East.
Mr. Speaker, let's be clear: This isn't a tax cut for working
families. It is a windfall for the wealthy paid for by everyone else.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to point out that 86,800
individuals in the district of the ranking member of the Tax
Subcommittee, who was speaking before me, because of passage of this
bill, those 86,800 families in California will not have $1,000 child
tax credit, they will have a $2,200 tax credit. Those are the people
that are benefiting in this bill that he voted against.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms.
Tenney).
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues on tax
day to celebrate a generational victory for American workers, families,
and small businesses.
The working families tax cut signed into law last July Fourth was a
game-changing event for Americans and especially people in my district
in upstate New York, the highest tax State in the Nation, even higher
than Mr. Thompson's district now as the Democrats in these two States
continue to compete to raise our taxes.
This tax season, though, is really good news. I have heard from
countless constituents and their families about the money they have
saved already from President Trump's tax cuts. We doubled the standard
deduction, increased the child tax credit to $2,200 per child. These
are now permanent.
What does this mean in practice? A family of three welcoming a new
baby into their lives can expect a tax refund of over $4,000, plus a
$1,000 Trump Account deposit to jump start that child's financial
future.
That is real money for food, diapers, clothes, and a future nest egg
for that child. That is government working for families, not against
them.
For nearly 90 percent of Americans who claim the standard deduction,
this law delivers over $205 billion in new tax relief on top of what we
already did in the Trump tax cuts in 2017.
I spent many years of my life managing and operating our family's
small business. I know firsthand what it is like to struggle to make
payroll and the stress that small business owners face every single
day, especially in States like New York. This is why making the section
199A Qualified Business Deduction now permanent is a certainty for
millions of Main Street businesses, small businesses, including sole
proprietors, independent contractors, and tradesmen. It means these
entrepreneurs can invest in their workers, plan for their future, and
compete in a more dynamic marketplace.
Mr. Speaker, I thank President Trump, Speaker Johnson, and our great
Chairman Smith for spearheading this effort to build on the successes
of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and deliver the most significant tax
relief for American workers and families in a generation. This has been
a godsend for people in New York against the Democrats who are
continuing to raise our taxes in the State of New York. I thank them
for the relief.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will point out that in that New York congressional
district we just heard about, 19,000 of her constituents will face
nutrition cuts. Mr. Speaker, 27,000 will lose health insurance. Mr.
Speaker, 4,263 jobs will be lost due to the canceling of the clean
energy tax credits, and her constituents will share in that liability--
$4.2 trillion added to our national debt.
I will just circle back to the child tax credit issue that the
chairman, my friend, referenced. I think it is important to point out
that in 2021 in the Democrats' American Rescue Plan, we provided
greater child tax credit benefits to folks across the country than was
pointed out in this bill: $3,000 for kids aged 6 to 17 and $3,600 for
children under the age of 6. It was fully refundable.
I think it is also important to point out that the beauty of writing
tax law, and that is what we do in the Ways and Means Committee, the
most significant committee in the United States Congress established by
the Constitution of the United States of America, it is that important,
the beauty of our responsibility for writing tax law is that we can
actually target communities, populations that need it the most. We can
do a child tax credit without having to do a huge windfall for the
richest people in the country, and that is what we should be doing.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I think the most important point
about
[[Page H2920]]
the child tax credit in the working families tax bill is that it is, in
fact, permanent. It will not be reduced. It will not expire. That is
something that didn't happen when the Democrats were in charge a few
years ago on the child tax credit. They made it temporary.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Bean).
Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we all remember that famous iconic
final scene in the movie ``Thelma and Louise,'' two women in a red
convertible, pedal down, driving straight off the edge of a cliff.
For working Americans, that is exactly what many saw coming, a $4
trillion tax hike that would have put families in the passenger seat
while the left drove full speed toward the edge. No brakes, no plan,
and no way out of impending disaster.
{time} 1650
Mr. Speaker, this tax day, House Republicans refuse to let that be
the ending.
With the Working Families Tax Cut Act, we turned the wheel. We
changed the direction, and we put working people back in control of
their own hard-earned money.
No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, a new deduction for Social
Security benefits, a new deduction for auto loan interest on American-
made vehicles, a new higher standard deduction, a stronger tax credit,
all of these mean the same thing, Mr. Speaker: More take-home pay, more
breathing room, and more opportunities for the families who make this
country work and the families who pay the bills.
The Working Families Tax Cut Act is real relief for real people:
parents juggling rising costs, workers picking up extra shifts, and
seniors who spent a lifetime paying in and deserve to keep a little bit
more of what they have earned.
Mr. Speaker, instead of driving off of the cliff, Republicans have
written a happy ending, one where hardworking American taxpayers keep
more of what they earn and drive forward with confidence and certainty.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, talk about driving off of the cliff. That Florida
district where my friend represents is going to drive off of the cliff.
Mr. Speaker, 22,000 people in his district will face nutrition cuts,
91,000 people will lose their health coverage, and 486 jobs are going
to be lost due to canceling clean energy credits.
If that is not a steep enough cliff to drive off of, try this one:
$4.2 trillion added to our national debt. Those constituents in Florida
have some responsibility for that debt, just like the rest of our
constituents do.
As far as the tax credit for the children that my friend talked
about, it is permanent. It is permanent for rich kids. Poor kids won't
get the whole credit because it isn't fully refundable.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Fong).
Mr. FONG. Mr. Speaker, for Californians who are losing more and more
of their paychecks to taxes, taxes that too often fund Gavin Newsom's
endless boondoggles, real relief isn't just welcome. It is overdue.
Thanks to President Trump, Chairman Smith, and House Republicans,
that relief is here. On July 4, 2025, we delivered the largest working
families tax cut in American history. The result is no tax on tips, no
tax on overtime, the child tax credit boosted to $2,200 per child and
made permanent, taxes on Social Security slashed, and a $1,000 Trump
tax account for every newborn American.
It also means expanding opportunity through the Federal education tax
credit scholarship program so that parents can choose the best
education for their child.
There is relief for farmers, small businesses, and manufacturers.
There is now more investment happening in California. We are already
seeing the results.
Thanks to this historic legislation, average tax refunds are nearing
$4,000 this year, over 15 percent higher than 2024. That is real money
that families can use for gas, groceries, or invest in their child's
future.
At the end of the day, it is simple: You earned your money. You
deserve to keep it.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much
time is remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California has 2 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from Missouri has 1 minute remaining.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance
of my time.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, this debate comes down to a
simple question: Who is this resolution really for? It is not for the
families in my district and not for the workingmen and -women who are
paying more at the pump, more at the grocery store, and more for
healthcare. It is not for the workers who were promised relief and got
far less than what was advertised. It is not for the folks across all
of our districts who are going to pay $1,700 more in tariff taxes this
year.
It is for those at the very top, and it adds $4.2 trillion to our
national debt. That is $4.2 trillion to our national debt.
Democrats believe that the tax code should work for working people,
not just the wealthy or the well-connected. This resolution fails that
test.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Speaker, the working families tax cuts were written for the
working families of this country by the working families of this
country.
After I became chairman, the first hearing that the Ways and Means
Committee held was not here in Washington. It was at a lumberyard in
Petersburg, West Virginia, ``The State of the American Economy:
Appalachia.''
We then traveled across the country, listening to workers and job
creators and families in Yukon, Oklahoma; in Peachtree City, Georgia;
and in Erie, Pennsylvania. We heard directly from waiters and
waitresses, factory workers, retirees, welders, and small business
owners about how tax relief would benefit them.
Under this bill, a family of four who makes less than $73,000 a year
will have zero in Federal tax liability. This is tax relief for
Americans who need it the most.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1174, the previous question is ordered
on the resolution and the preamble.
The question is on adoption of the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On April 15, 2026, page H2920, in the third column, the
following appeared: The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate
has expired. Pursuant to House Resolution 1174, the previous
question is ordered on the resolution and the preamble. The
question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the
ayes appeared to have it.
The online version has been corrected to read: The SPEAKER pro
tempore. All time for debate has expired. Pursuant to House
Resolution 1174, the previous question is ordered on the
resolution and the preamble. The question is on adoption of the
resolution. The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore
announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
========================= END NOTE =========================
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
____________________