Majority Leader | Research | The Leader Board | THE NEWSR...Skip to primary navigation Skip to content×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNE×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUFacebookXInstagramFacebookXInstagramVisit Leader Thune's South Dakota Site Here THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUHomeTHE NEWSROOMThe Leader Board01.22.26One Year Into Unified Republican Government, Americans Have Lower Taxes and a Secure BorderThanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Law, Congressional Republicans and President Trump Have Delivered More Money in Americans’ Pockets and Safer Streets for American Families AMERICANS ARE GETTING BIGGER PAYCHECKS AND CAN EXPECT HIGHER TAX REFUNDS THANKS TO THE WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUTS“Americans are seeing bigger paychecks now that they reflect the changes Republicans made in our Working Families Tax Cuts. Helping people keep more of the money they work hard for is both a matter of principle and an important part of spurring economic growth. With more money in their pockets, Americans can begin to move past the Biden-created affordability crisis.” – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)“Workers receiving their first paychecks of 2026 are finding them bigger than ever thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts…” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Working Families Tax Cuts Bring Bigger Paychecks – 1/16/26)Thanks to Republicans preventing a tax increase on the American people of over $4 trillion, tax filers in every income bracket will see lower rates:“A single adult with two kids, making $40,000: Tax cut of $2,010”“A married couple filing jointly, with two kids, making $85,000: Tax cut of $2,425”“A married couple filing jointly, with three kids, making $110,000: Tax cut of $3,580” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: One Big Beautiful Bill Act – accessed 1/22/26; U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Working Families Tax Cuts Bring Bigger Paychecks – 1/16/26; Tax Foundation: 2026 Tax Calculator: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Tax Changes Will Affect You – 10/1/25)The Working Families Tax Cuts created new opportunities for workers, including no tax on tips and no tax on overtime:“A single adult, making $30,000, of which $10,000 are qualified tips: Tax cut of $1,462”“A single adult, making $75,000, of which $10,000 is qualified overtime: Tax cut of $4,192” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Working Families Tax Cuts Bring Bigger Paychecks – 1/16/26; Tax Foundation: 2026 Tax Calculator: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Tax Changes Will Affect You – 10/1/25)“According to a distributional analysis from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT)—which previously estimated the tax bill provides more than $600 billion in new tax relief to middle-class households—the largest proportional tax benefits go to workers and families making less than $50,000.” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: One Big Beautiful Bill: New Tax Relief Overwhelmingly Benefits Working Class – 7/1/25)“Additionally, because many of these changes took effect retroactively to the beginning of 2025, Americans will see supersized refunds this tax filing season, which the U.S. Department of the Treasury estimates will reach $100 billion in total.” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Working Families Tax Cuts Bring Bigger Paychecks – 1/16/26)“When taxpayers file their 2025 tax returns in 2026, many will see larger refunds than in recent years. That’s due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which reduced individual income taxes for 2025 by an estimated $144 billion.” (Tax Foundation: Tax Refunds and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – 12/17/25)“Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted that Americans will see ‘gigantic’ refund checks in the upcoming filing season” because many of the provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts “applied retroactively to the beginning of [2025], and because most workers did not change their withholdings, many can expect sizable refunds in 2026.” (Fox Business: Americans will get 'gigantic' tax refund next year, Treasury Secretary says – 12/27/25)THE NEW BONUS DEDUCTION FOR SENIORS MEANS MORE FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS IN 2026“This deduction is targeted to lower- and middle-income retirees and will help tens of millions keep more of their income. With ongoing anxiety around cost of living and kitchen table budget issues, this kind of relief can make a critical difference for folks trying to make ends meet.” – AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond“Tax changes for 2026 offer new ways for individuals ages 65 and over to plan financially. That is largely due to a new temporary senior ‘bonus’ or deduction of up to $6,000 per qualifying individual that was enacted when President Donald Trump signed the ‘big beautiful bill’ package into law last July.” (CNBC: New $6,000 senior deduction offers an ‘incredible, valuable opportunity,’ CPA says: How to make the most of it – 1/19/26)“The $6,000 senior deduction is in effect from tax years 2025 through 2028. It applies to taxpayers 65 and over, regardless of whether they itemize their tax returns or take the standard deduction.” (CNBC: New $6,000 senior deduction offers an ‘incredible, valuable opportunity,’ CPA says: How to make the most of it – 1/19/26)“A married couple filing jointly could qualify for a deduction of up to $12,000.” (CNBC: New $6,000 senior deduction offers an ‘incredible, valuable opportunity,’ CPA says: How to make the most of it – 1/19/26)“The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office of the president, estimates about 33.9 million seniors may qualify for the new senior deduction and receive an average $670 increase in after-tax income per eligible taxpayer.” (CNBC: New $6,000 senior deduction offers an ‘incredible, valuable opportunity,’ CPA says: How to make the most of it – 1/19/26)“The extra deduction for seniors phases out for taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of over $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers. For seniors whose incomes are above those thresholds, the tax break phases out gradually and reduces the deduction by 6 cents for every dollar over that amount.” (Fox Business: New tax deduction could put more money back in seniors’ pockets this year – 1/16/26)PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SECURED THE BORDER, AND REPUBLICANS HAVE ENSURED THAT STRONG ENFORCEMENT WILL LAST FOR YEARS TO COME“U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced record-low border encounters for December 2025, marking the eighth consecutive month of zero releases under President Donald Trump's border security policies.” (My Texas Daily: USBP reports historic lows in border encounters and drug seizures – 1/18/26; U.S. Customs and Border Protection: USBP records zero releases for eighth consecutive month – 1/16/26)Border encounters and apprehensions in December set records for immigration enforcement:“91,603 total encounters nationwide in October, November, December – lower than any prior fiscal year to date. This is 25% lower than the previous low of 121,469 in FY2012.”“U.S. Border Patrol recorded the lowest number of apprehensions along the southwest border ever in the first quarter of a fiscal year (21,815 in FY2026), which was 95% lower than the first quarter average under the Biden administration.”“30,698 total encounters nationwide in December — 92% below the peak of the Biden administration’s 370,883, and the lowest encounters ever for a month of December.”“6,478 USBP apprehensions on the southwest border in December — 96% lower than the monthly average of the Biden administration, and less than what was apprehended in four days in December 2024.” (U.S. Customs and Border Protection: USBP records zero releases for eighth consecutive month – 1/16/26)“Nationwide in December, CBP seized 39,030 pounds of illicit drugs,” including seizures of illegal fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection: USBP records zero releases for eighth consecutive month – 1/16/26)To ensure the Trump administration has adequate funding to keep the border secure, Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts law provided:“$46.5 billion to complete construction of the border wall.”“$14.4 billion for removal transportation.”“$12 billion in state reimbursements for states that fought against the Biden administration’s open border.”“$4.1 billion to hire additional CBP personnel, including 3,000 more customs officers and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents.”“$3.2 billion for new technology and $2.7 billion for new cutting-edge border surveillance.”Funding for ICE “to hire 10,000 new agents, which would allow the rate of deportations to reach as high as 1 million per year. ICE currently has 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel across 400 offices.” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Secretary Noem Commends President Trump and One Big Beautiful Bill Signing into Law: Historic Win for the American People and the Rule of Law – 7/4/25)PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram
