I traveled all across the country with President Trump, and no matter which state or city we visited, the American people greeted him with thunderous applause in support of his tax cuts. These tax cuts were a huge win for families and small businesses in my district—we can’t let them expire! But we need to go even further and deliver on President Trump’s promise of NO TAX on tips, NO TAX on Social Security, and NO TAX on overtime. This isn’t about any one member of Congress; it’s about delivering the mandate the American people demanded when they elected President Trump—who is far more popular than any of us—in November.
Video transcript
Thank you Mr. Chairman. President Trump's policies in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 provided much needed relief to so many American families and businesses, including in my district and also for my own business and my own family. Individual income tax rates went down. The standard deduction was doubled. The child tax credit went up and the death tax and corporate tax were slashed. My district, Georgia 14, is home to over 426,000 taxpayers. The average taxpayer in Georgia 14 would see a 25% tax height if Trump's tax cuts expire. A family of four making $70,423, which is the medium income in my district, would see a $1,389 tax increase if the cuts expire. This is worth about eight weeks of groceries to typical families of four in the region. 93,160 Georgia 14 families would see their household's child tax credit cut in half. This is not manageable for these families. 90% of taxpayers in my district would see their guaranteed deduction slashed in half. They cannot go through and handle their monthly expenses if this happens. 31,820 small businesses in Georgia 14 would be hit with a 43.4% tax rate if the small business deductions expires. Let me tell you, that would ensure certain failure for many of these small businesses. 7,267 of my constituents would be impacted by the return of the alternative minimum tax. 3,226 family-owned farms in my district would have their death tax exemption slashed in half in the half next year. Let me tell you, these people will lose their family farms. American businesses and individuals also deal with burdensome regulations simply to trade securities and invest for their families. For all these reasons, it is extremely important that we in Congress support Chairman Smith and support President Trump's plan to extend these crucial policies. We need to deliver a historic mandate for the American people, including by supporting President Trump's campaign promises of no tax on tips, no tax on social security, no tax on overtime, and tax credits for caregivers. Let me re-emphasize that. I traveled the country with President Trump for almost four solid years, and I went to many of his rallies, probably more than any member of Congress that I served with. I stood with him in every single state in every single city, and when I saw him and heard him campaign saying loudly, "No tax on tips, no tax on social security, and no tax on overtime," people rose to their feet and cheered loudly, standing ovation after standing ovation. We have a mandate from the American people to deliver these campaign promises, and I promise you, President Trump, especially for Republicans, is more popular than you are in your district, so we need to make sure we don't follow any one person's idea of what we need to do here with this historic mandate. We need to follow what President Trump campaigned on and what the people overwhelmingly voted for. I thank Chairman Smith and the committee here on Ways and Means, and I look forward to working together on these crucial pieces of legislation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.