“Republicans cut taxes, and working Americans are seeing more money in their own pockets as a result. They get more money from their jobs, they pay less in taxes, and they pay less for things like their utility bills.”
Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor on how Americans are keeping more of their hard-earned money thanks to the Republican tax-relief law.
Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks:
“Last December, Republicans voted to cut the taxes that American families pay.
“We simplified the tax system. We made it fairer. We cut the rates.
“Every single Democrat in the Senate voted against giving Americans this tax relief that they needed. Every single one of them.
“Democrats claimed that only rich people would benefit, and that businesses would never share their savings with the workers.
“The Democrat leader – Senator Schumer – actually said that ‘tax cuts like these benefit the wealthy and the powerful to the exclusion of the middle class.’
“So what happened?
“The American people know that Democrats were wrong.
“The very day the tax bill passed in Congress, AT&T came out and said that they were giving their workers a bonus.
“The company said that 200,000 hard-working employees were going to get an extra $1,000 each – directly because of the tax relief law.
“Over the next few weeks, more than four million Americans got similar good news.
“They learned that they would be getting a bonus, or a pay increase because of the tax law.
“More than 500 companies have said that because their taxes went down, they’re sharing the savings with their workers.
“In my home state of Wyoming, these are people who work at places like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, Starbucks.
“It’s also people who work at small businesses – like Taco John’s, and the Jonah Bank in Casper.
“It’s people who work at the Bockman Group in Sheridan, Wyoming.
“That’s a local business that specializes in fencing and excavation.
“They said their employees would be getting raises because of the tax law.
“The owner actually said that with this tax cut, he would now move ahead with starting two new businesses this year – employing more people.
“That means more jobs and more economic opportunities for people in northeast Wyoming.
“Another thing that we had a chance to talk about when the tax law was passed was how this would affect people’s utility bills.
“It started happening right away.
“Americans noted their utility bills started going down.
“There are more than 100 utility companies across the country that have cut their rates as a direct result of the tax law.
“It’s gas bills, water bills, all of the above.
“These bills are going down for families across the country because of the Republican tax cuts.
“The tax rate cuts amount to $3 billion.
“Democrats said the companies would keep their tax savings, and instead the savings are being passed the savings along to consumers.
“Americans are starting to use more energy right now to keep their homes cool this summer.
“So these rate cuts are really good news for families all across the country.
“When the monthly bills gets cut, they have more money to save, to spend, to invest, but it’s their money so they get to make those decisions on how they want to use it.
“This is what happens when we change the tax law so Washington gets less and taxpayers get to keep more.
“Republicans cut taxes, and working Americans are seeing more money in their own pockets as a result.
“They get more money from their jobs, they pay less in taxes, and they pay less for things like their utility bills.
“People are winning three different ways because of the Republican tax relief law.
“Another thing that people are seeing is that a lot more of them have good jobs now than before.
“New numbers came out last week.
“The number of Americans collecting unemployment insurance is at a 44-year low.
“We haven’t seen numbers this low since 1973.
“It’s a sign that we have a very strong, very healthy and a growing economy.
“People are keeping their jobs.
“If people get laid off or want to change jobs, they get a new one right away.
“They don’t need to go on unemployment.
“In fact, the Labor Department says that there are now 6.7 million job openings across the country. It’s an all-time high.
“For the first time ever, there are actually more job openings than there are unemployed people who are looking for work.
“6.7 million openings, and 6.3 million job hunters.
“When you look at some of these measures, the American economy isn’t just stronger than it was before the recession, it’s stronger than it’s been in decades.
“The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta says that we’re on pace for the economy to grow more than four percent in the second quarter of this year.
“4.6 percent they say, it’s astonishing.
“Well, the American people don’t need an economist to tell them what they see with their own two eyes, in their home communities. They see the economy is strong, the economy in their community is healthy, and their economy is growing.
“I expect to see it again at home in Wyoming this weekend. Businesses are hiring. Workers are getting bonuses, and they’re getting raises.
“More money in their pockets, more money in their paychecks.
“People all across America are feeling better about their opportunities.
“There is a confidence, there is an optimism, that we didn’t have previously.
“It’s happening because of policies that Republicans are implementing here in Congress and in the White House.
“We have no intention of stopping now.
“Democrats are continuing to look for ways to slow things down, to block progress, and to change the subject.
“Republicans are looking for ways to keep America growing and to keep America strong.
“That’s what Republicans in Congress are committed to doing.
“The American people expect us to keep going, to keep looking for ways to make America better, stronger, safer.
“It’s what the American people expect from us, and it’s exactly what Republicans are going to continue to do.”
###