By U.S. Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.
When I talk to small business owners in New Jersey, I often hear them say they want to build, hire, grow, and give back to their communities, but for too long they were held back by high taxes, uncertainty, and burdensome regulations that punished their hard work.
Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, that is finally changing. A few months ago, I hosted a roundtable with local restaurant leaders and hospitality workers in our district, and Keith Holmes, owner of the St. Moritz Grill & Bar in Sparta, summed up what many in the room were feeling: “With the passage of the [Working Families Tax Cuts], there are really three key components that will help the restaurant industry in New Jersey. First, the No Tax on Overtime helps our chefs and kitchen staff, since they’re the ones earning overtime. Second, eliminating taxes on tips directly benefits servers. And finally, the Social Security piece helps seniors—when they have more money in their pockets, they’re more likely to dine out at restaurants.”
When you let people keep more of what they earn, they spend more, invest more, and uplift others around them. From servers to seniors to small business owners to families, this tax relief is reaching the backbone of our economy, and it’s showing up in the paychecks and pocketbooks of everyday Americans across our state.
Notably, while every Democrat opposed the Working Families Tax Cuts, I voted with my Republican colleagues to pass this historic legislation for the residents of New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. The early results speak for themselves: jobs are growing, small businesses are expanding, and working families are finally receiving the historic tax relief they deserve.
Recently in Phillipsburg, I had the opportunity to visit Bihler of America, a local industrial manufacturer. Bihler’s CEO, Maxine Nordmeyer, put it this way, “Manufacturers thrive when we have the certainty we need to plan major investments in our facilities and our people. That’s exactly what this tax package delivers. We thank our partners in Congress and the Administration—and we look forward to working with them on a full comprehensive manufacturing strategy. Through energy, trade, and workforce policies that drive our competitiveness, deliver certainty, and empower manufacturers, we will build on the success of [this bill].”
Whether it’s a line cook or a worker on the manufacturing line, New Jerseyans are seeing the benefits of a tax code that puts them first. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction relief, an expanded Child Tax Credit, and most importantly, more take-home pay and freedom for families trying to make ends meet.
As President Trump prepares to deliver his State of the Union address this evening, we can be grateful we have a President who is delivering on his economic promises to all Americans. I am honored to stand alongside him to deliver on these monumental victories for New Jersey.
