EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR TAX POLICIES THAT SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES

On 2026-04-15, Representative Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8) delivered a floor speech titled "EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR TAX POLICIES THAT SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered the economy, taxes. It referenced legislation including HR1, HRES1156, HRES1147, among other bills.

EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR TAX POLICIES THAT SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 66 (Wednesday, April 15, 2026) [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 ] {time} 1540 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 [[Page H2914]] 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

Referenced legislation: HR1, HRES1147, HRES1156, HRES1174