Every Labor Day, we celebrate the hardworking men and women who make America the envy of the world. They wake up early, show up to work every day, and put in long hours to create a better future for their families — just like my mom, a factory worker, and my dad, an auto mechanic, did for ours.
I’m so grateful for how hard my parents worked to put clothes on our backs and food on the dinner table. And I’m incredibly proud that I grew up in a working-class family. It shaped who I am and the policies I fight for in Washington.
Delivering for the working-class folks of Missouri is my top priority. And I have never had a stronger ally in my fight for Missouri workers than former President Donald Trump. Whether it was health care, trade, taxes, immigration, and so much more, his primary focus was delivering for hardworking Americans – the men and women whom Washington Democrats have left behind.
Under Trump, we had the strongest economy in my lifetime. His 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act gave us historic growth and record unemployment. Americans making less than $100,000 got on average a 16 percent cut in their tax bill. Workers in the bottom 10 percent of earners saw 50 precent faster wage growth than people in the highest 10 percent. Trump’s landmark U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement leveled the playing field for U.S. workers, brought back good-paying jobs to America, and increased paychecks.
Trump cracked down on China’s unfair trade practices that hurt workers, manufacturers, and small businesses. He removed thousands of pages of red tape that was holding back American farmers, workers, and families, saving the average household over $3,000 per year in regulatory costs. His economic agenda was a major win for America’s workers.
Since Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives 18 months ago, we’ve worked around the clock to advance Trump’s pro-worker agenda. We passed legislation like H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, to make improvements to workforce development programs to better help Americans without college degrees get the skills they need for a successful career.
In addition, the House established the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party to address the threat China poses to our economy and jobs here at home. We passed the Secure the Border Act to stem the flow of illegal immigration and protect American jobs. But our fight for working families is far from over.
As chairman of Congress’s chief tax writing committee, I’m leading the fight to stop Washington Democrats’ plan to let the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts expire and, making matters even worse, hit Americans with trillions of dollars in new taxes. If the Trump Tax Cuts expire, a family of four earning $75,000 would see their taxes increase by $1,500 a year. A family of five with two earners making around $100,000 would see a tax increase of nearly $7,500 a year.
The Child Tax Credit, Death Tax exemption, and Guaranteed Deduction would be slashed in half. If Washington Democrats have their way, Americans will get hit with a $7 trillion tax hike – the largest in U.S. history. It’s yet another reminder that the Left views hardworking families as a piggy bank to fund their welfare for the wealthy and well-connected.
It’s an incredible honor to serve as the voice of the hardworking folks of Missouri’s 8th Congressional District – the factory workers, electricians, welders, farmers, and everyone who works hard to earn a living and take care of their families. For as long as I’m in Washington, I will never stop fighting to advance policies that put working-class Americans first.
