Last year as President Trump was being sworn into office, Americans were filled with a sense of pride and optimism that after years of complacency and failure, our great nation might finally be on track to once again become an economic powerhouse. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have seen explosive economic growth, and now the pump is primed for further economic expansion with our tax reform legislation and the repeal of hundreds of job killing regulations.
It is a sad reality that often times a lot of these accomplishments have been clouded by distractions and the media’s obsession with things like the Russia investigation or questions about the president’s competency. These are nothing more than attempts by the left to delegitimize America’s decision to elect Donald Trump as our president.
{mosads}What I know to be true is that we have a smart, competent leader in the White House, who works hard to get things done.
Under President Trump’s leadership, Congress passed historic tax cuts for hardworking Americans for the first time in 31 years. In my district, the average family will save approximately $1,875 each year on their tax bill. This will help families get ahead and have more money to spend on the things that really matter.
This once-in-a-generation reform was a tall order, but we owe it to President Trump for being what we elected him to be, a successful CEO. Each member of Congress has different priorities and needs as we relate to our individual districts, but we ended up with a solution where Americans from all walks of life will see relief.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowers rates, doubles the standard deduction as well as the child tax credit, and keeps in place incentives for homeowners, individuals with expensive medical bills, and those saving for an education. The president proved that he was a true trailblazer when including the elimination of the ObamaCare individual mandate, providing families with the flexibility to buy the health care that’s right for them if they choose.
We know all too well that under President Obama we saw stagnant wage growth and severe underemployment. In addition to the savings that families will see, tax reform unleashes the American economy. President Trump has seen astounding success in his business career, and knows firsthand the importance of creating an economic environment with pro-growth policies that create confidence.
Previously, our corporate tax rate was the highest of any industrialized nation, making America uncompetitive with rest of the world. As a result, jobs and profits were pushed overseas instead of staying in America. We have lowered the corporate tax rate to be competitive with other industrialized nations in order to bring jobs and profits back home, where they belong. President Trump recognized the importance of making the new rate of 21 percent permanent in order to provide much needed certainty.
By leveling the playing field, American companies will be able to hire more workers and increase wages. Throughout the last few weeks, we have seen this come to life as companies like At&T, Southwest Airlines, UPS, Visa and others are passing along their savings to employees. Automakers like Toyota-Mazda and Chrysler have committed to new investments in the United States.
Additionally, small businesses will see the lowest tax rates since World War II. Main Street job creators are the backbone of our nation, and we need to make sure that more individuals can continue to achieve the American dream. Millions of small businesses across the country that have been saddled with high taxes will see long overdue relief that will allow them to grow and hire.
In addition, President Trump has ended wasteful and costly regulations that stood in the way of hardworking Americans. Bureaucratic red-tape implemented under President Obama created uncertainty and gave too much power to Washington. In Fiscal Year 2017 alone the Trump administration saved more than $8.1 billion in lifetime regulatory costs.
The economy has been freed from overregulation and we are seeing the impacts. President Trump has created an environment where businesses know they can thrive, which is why we have seen the creation of 2.1 million new jobs, the Dow hitting record highs, and GDP growth above 3 percent for two quarters in a row for the first time in three years.
I have heard from my constituents and agree with them when they say that President Trump is “Making America Great Again.” No longer are we living under the guise of big government with its high taxes, overregulation, and wasteful spending. Americans are taking advantage of this new climate of economic growth and I look forward to continuing our success together.
Chris Collins represents New York’s 27th District.