Press Releases

Madam Secretary, it is always an honor to have you before the Committee on Ways and Means. Welcome back.

Your team has been hard at work electrifying our nation, ushering in a new era at the IRS, and implementing President Biden’s record-breaking economic agenda. All with the American people at the center of the work.  The Wall Street Journal even called our economy the “envy of the world.” It’s well-deserved recognition for an administration that has created 15 million jobs, spurred a small business boom, and rebuilt an economy from the bottom up and middle out, breaking record after record.

Four years ago, this success was unimaginable, and it was never guaranteed. Millions were without a job at no fault of their own, the grocery shelves were bare, and we had no answers for the mysterious virus taking the country by storm, and then President Biden took office, returning our nation to one of science and sensibility.

Starting with the American Rescue Plan, and most recently with the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ legislative successes transformed our nation. We are bringing down health care and household energy costs, the clean energy economy has created over 270,000 jobs, and infrastructure projects are underway across the country.

Thanks to our multiyear investment, the Internal Revenue Service had another outstanding filing season. I’m pleased with how in such short order, the agency stood up a new, free, and secure way to file with Direct File. I know many folks in the Commonwealth who were able to use the program to ease their filing experience this year. And after years of underfunding at the hands of Republican budget cuts, returns are being processed faster, more Americans are getting the service they deserve, and already over $500 million in taxes owed from wealthy tax cheats have been recovered.

Looking ahead, the President’s Budget supercharges this progress and will finish the job for the people. The President’s budget ensures they have the supports necessary to not only fully participate in our workforce but also raise families and care for loved ones, and responsibly holds the wealthy and well-connected accountable.

Amid all of this success, the Majority can’t find it in themselves to use their gavels for the work of the American people. Instead, we’ve wasted this Congress on chaos, conspiracies, and cuts, and now, I’ve been fielding questions about their preparations for the expiration of their Tax Scam next year. There are still over 8 months left in this Congress and many more until their provisions expire, and yet, it seems their legislative well has already run dry this Congress.

Yet, I’ve seen their leader calling for devaluing the dollar and stunting, and even in some cases repealing, much of our legislative progress in the name of politics. It’s deeply unpopular, and puts the health of our economy and countless paychecks on the line.

While we expand what’s possible and build the economy of the future, House Republicans plot their next round of failed trickle-down economics with another round of tax cuts for the wealthy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Republicans are the biggest threat to the health and economic security of the American people.

Madam Secretary, I look forward to you setting the record straight—thank you again for joining us.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.