State of the Union Address

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, tonight the President of the United States will give the State of the Union Address. Americans are going to hear two things from the President. They are going to hear a record of progress that puts America back on track. They will also hear a plan to build on that progress.

In the 2024 election, Americans demanded safety and prosperity, and Republicans have delivered. Republicans cut taxes for Americans. We eliminated wasteful Washington spending. We rolled back regulations that strangled businesses and punished small businesses all across the country. We restored American energy dominance.

Today, America is safer, more secure, and more prosperous than it was when Joe Biden left the White House a little over a year ago. For the 4 years of his Presidency, painfully high prices punished American families. Republicans' policies have changed all of that. Our focus is affordability. The proof is in the pockets of the American people.

Last year, Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cut law. Every Democrat--every single Democrat in this body--voted against it. That law benefits every single American taxpayer.

Every working American receives a permanently lower tax rate. Every working American receives a permanent increase in the standard deduction.

Farmers, ranchers, small business owners, and Main Street small business owners receive permanent relief from the dreaded death tax.

All parents are going to receive a permanent increase in the child tax credit--$2,200 for each child each year. Waiters, barbers, and bartenders are going to keep more money because of no taxes on tips. Nurses, firefighters, police officers, and coal miners will keep more money because of no tax on overtime.

Millions of seniors living on Social Security will receive higher payments as a result of no taxes on Social Security.

New parents can save and invest in their child's future through the historic new Trump accounts.

Republicans didn't stop with cutting taxes--oh, no. We also removed burdensome government regulations that strangled our economy. Just this month, in a historic decision, the Trump administration ended the so- called endangerment finding. That was an Obama-era regulation that raised car prices and limited consumer choice. This is the single largest action to cut burdensome regulation by any administration ever, and it is going to make life more affordable.

It follows a year of rolling back redtape. Last year, President Trump eliminated 646 regulations, and his actions saved hard-working Americans over $200 billion.

This is just the beginning. So what are the results so far? Inflation is at the lowest it has been in 5 years. More Americans are working-- millions more--and wages are going up. The economy continues to see robust growth. Productivity grew twice as fast last year as it has over the past decade. That is what we have been able to deliver. These are the facts and figures.

Let me put it in personal terms. Because of the economic policies enacted in the past year, workers in America now have $1,400 more in each and every one of their pockets than they did before President Trump took office. From the gas station, to the grocery store, to the pharmacy, paychecks are going further. Families are feeling financial relief, and more relief is on the way because there is more work for us to do.

Let's consider what the Democrats--the people on the other side of the aisle--want to do instead.

Joe Biden and the Democrats' reckless tax and spending agenda caused the worst inflation in 40 years. Record-high inflation. Sky-high prices. Today, these Democrats are determined to bring that back--that pain, that suffering. They want it all again.

These Democrats tried to raise taxes on American workers by $4 trillion. Every single Democrat in this body--every single one of them on the other side of the aisle--voted in favor of the largest tax increase in America's history. We stopped them. We stopped them. Had these Democrats gotten their way, Americans would be paying more taxes today, not less. The refund checks coming would be smaller rather than larger, which is what they are going to get with the Republican plan when they get their tax refunds this year.

Even now, Democrats are still trying to raise your taxes. These Democrats are trying to undo the very policies that are putting more money back into the pocketbooks and the purses of American families.

Americans rejected the failed agenda of high prices and of open border and of high taxes. The American people chose safety and prosperity instead.

So, today, America is heading in the right direction. This is an all- American economic comeback, and we are going to continue to build on it, and people are going to hear that tonight when the President speaks.

Tonight, President Trump will lay out his vision for continuing to make America safer and more prosperous for the people who are here, the citizens of this country, and Senate Republicans are going to work closely with him to do precisely that.

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