[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 69 (Monday, April 20, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1833-S1834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 TAXES

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, tax day was last week, and I would like to 
read a brief excerpt from a Washington Post article.
  The title of this article: ``Tax refunds shoot up as Americans take 
advantage of new deductions.''
  And here is the excerpt:

       Karen Richardson, 68, has had a predictable tax return 
     since she retired from her job administering government 
     benefits four years ago. She lives on a fixed income and 
     usually owes some money at tax time, so she was surprised to 
     get a $1,000 refund this year due to the senior deduction. 
     ``The Big Beautiful Bill worked for me,'' she said, ``I 
     didn't think it applied to more than the richer people. . . . 
     I really didn't think it applied to me.''

  Well, as Ms. Richardson and many other hard-working Americans have 
discovered, the Big Beautiful Bill, the Working Families Tax Cuts, does 
indeed apply to them. It worked for them this tax season, and it will 
work for them in future tax seasons.
  In 2017, Republicans overhauled our outdated Tax Code so that it 
would work better for our economy and for American families alike.
  We cut tax rates across the board, doubled the child tax credit, and 
nearly doubled the standard deduction. And all of this made a 
significant difference to working families' tax bills. But this relief 
was scheduled to expire at the end of 2025, which meant that starting 
this January, Americans would have seen a lot more of their paychecks 
going to the Federal Government.
  Republicans were determined not to let that happen. And so last 
summer, we passed the Working Families Tax Cut to prevent a massive 
$2.6 trillion tax hike on Americans making less than $400,000.
  But we didn't just prevent a tax hike. In addition to ensuring that 
Americans can keep enjoying lower tax rates, Republicans passed a 
number of additional tax relief measures. We boosted the standard 
deduction again. We increased the child tax credit and linked it to 
inflation so its value will never go down. We instituted no tax on 
tips. We instituted no tax on overtime and more.
  And hard-working Americans are reaping the benefits. This tax season 
more than 30 million seniors claimed the new bonus deduction for older 
Americans. More than a million taxpayers bought an American-made car 
and were able to deduct an average of $1,800 in auto loan interest on 
that new vehicle. More than 25 million American workers were able to 
deduct overtime pay from their taxes, resulting in substantial tax 
savings.
  And more than 6 million workers were able to deduct their tips from 
their taxes. And that doesn't even count the parents who were able to

[[Page S1834]]

take advantage of the enhanced child tax credit or the new tax-
advantaged accounts for their child or all the Americans, all of the 
Americans who benefited from our further increase in the standard 
deduction.
  The Working Families Tax Cut is working for working families. The New 
York Times recently interviewed a number of taxpayers. The Times 
reported:

       Many of the taxpayers said they had received their largest 
     refund in years, money that is going toward paying down 
     credit card debt, catching up on bills, padding savings 
     accounts or covering the cost of a vacation.

  ``money that is going toward paying down credit card debt, catching 
up on bills, padding savings accounts or covering the cost of a 
vacation.''
  That was our goal with this bill, to take some of the pressure off, 
to free up money that families could use to do things like pay down 
debt or put away for a rainy day or take a much-needed vacation. Thanks 
to the Working Families Tax Cut, Americans now have a little more 
breathing room in their budget.
  And whether we are passing tax relief, new measures to make 
prescription drugs more affordable at the pharmacy counter, or 
legislation to address the cost of housing, Republicans will continue 
to work to make life more affordable for hard-working Americans.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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