00:00Mr. President, it was a pleasure to hear from President Trump last night on some of the achievements of his
00:05first year in office
00:06and his continued plans to make life better for hard-working Americans.
00:11It's something to remember the situation the President was facing 13 months ago when he took office.
00:18America and Americans had been through a lot under President Biden.
00:23A historic inflation crisis and the worst border crisis on record.
00:30And on top of that, hard-working Americans were facing the prospect of a $2.6 trillion tax hike in
00:372026.
00:39President Trump and Republicans took office last January determined to turn the page on these crises.
00:45We knew things weren't going to get fixed overnight, but we also knew that we could do a lot to
00:50make life better for hard-working Americans.
00:52And we got right to work.
00:54A prime order of business was stopping that $2.6 trillion tax hike on hard-working Americans,
01:00starting, or something I should say we achieved with our signature 2025 legislation, the working families' tax cuts.
01:13And that, Mr. President, is exactly what we did.
01:16In addition to preventing a $2.6 trillion tax hike and making permanent the tax relief Republicans passed in 2017,
01:23the working families' tax cuts implemented a slew of additional tax relief.
01:29We increased the child tax credit by hundreds of dollars and linked it to inflation so its value will never
01:35go down.
01:37We boosted the standard deduction, which is claimed by 90 percent of taxpayers in this country.
01:42We instituted a new $6,000 bonus deduction for lower- and middle-income seniors.
01:50We implemented no tax on tips and overtime, allowing hard-working Americans from nurses to ride-share drivers to keep
01:58more of their own money.
02:01And more.
02:02And Americans are already seeing this relief in the form of bigger tax refunds.
02:06But the working families' tax cuts didn't end with tax relief, Mr. President.
02:11We repealed Democrats' natural gas tax and took steps to unleash American energy production,
02:17to ensure that Americans have a stable, plentiful, and affordable supply of energy.
02:27We took measures to modernize the farm safety net, something very important to the financial well-being of farmers in
02:32my state of South Dakota and around the country.
02:34And, of course, the working families' tax cuts also address border security and national defense.
02:39Thanks to President Trump's work to stem the national security crisis at our southern border,
02:45encounters at our southern border are currently a tiny fraction of what they were under President Biden.
02:53And unlike under President Biden, individuals apprehended attempting to cross our southern border are not being released into the interior
03:00of the country.
03:02And the working families' tax cuts bill helps ensure that we have the resources to maintain this kind of secure
03:08border for the long term.
03:10Mr. President, the working families' tax cuts may have been our signature legislation last year,
03:16but it's far from the only thing we've been doing to help make life more affordable for hardworking Americans.
03:23The President and Congress have taken action to repeal a number of burdensome rules and regulations—regulations that would have driven
03:29up energy and appliance prices in this country.
03:32And this year's Health Care Appropriations Bill, we prioritize measures to make prescriptions less expensive at the pharmacy.
03:39And we're looking to soon take up major housing legislation to make home ownership more affordable and accessible for everyday
03:46Americans.
03:47My Democrat colleagues may talk a good game about helping hardworking Americans, but Republicans are actually putting in the work.
03:58We're putting more money in Americans' pockets and working hard to make life affordable for American families.
04:04And as President Trump made clear last night, we are just getting started.
04:08Mr. President, before I close, the President awarded medals to several military members last night,
04:12including the Medal of Honor to South Dakota native Royce Williams.
04:17Then-Lieutenant Williams heroically took on multiple Soviet MiGs during action off the Korean Peninsula in 1952,
04:25hitting not one but several of the aircraft before piloting his own heavily damaged plane back to an American aircraft
04:33carrier.
04:36I know from personal experience, my dad, that South Dakota has produced some incredible naval aviators.
04:44And we are incredibly proud of our South Dakota heroes, including Mr. Williams.
04:53And Mr. President, we are grateful for their service.
04:57Subscribe to One India and never miss an update.
05:02Download the One India app now.
Comments