‘Real, Tangible Benefits from Tax Reform’

SEN. MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “…it’s been just over two months since this united Republican government delivered historic tax reform to middle-class families across America. So how’s it working? We’ve all seen the national news: Walmart is giving raises or new benefits to more than a million hourly workers. Boeing is investing $300 million in workforce development and corporate giving. Apple is bringing hundreds of billions of dollars back to America. But no less important are the stories making front-page news in hometown newspapers across the country. … Senators heard stories just like these during last week’s state work period.” (Sen. McConnell, Floor Remarks, 3/1/2018)

COMPANIES: ‘We Raised Wages, Yes,’ ‘We Are Reinstating’ Our Healthcare Plan, ‘It Gives Us More Opportunity To Support And Grow Our Existing Businesses’

PENNSYLVANIA: “New Hudson Facades in Linwood, Pennsylvania, makes the glass and aluminum skins that cover skyscrapers…. After a tour of New Hudson Facades’ high-tech manufacturing facility, Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey credited the tax bill, which he helped author, with strengthening the company. ‘The tax bill that we recently passed was designed to increase growth for companies like this,’ he told a group of workers on the factory floor.” (“Toomey Visits DelCo Factory To Tout GOP Tax Overhaul,” WHYY, 2/20/2018)

• “‘We raised wages, yes,’ said Allen Cohen, managing partner of New Hudson Facades, of the approximate 5 percent raise given to employees. ‘In addition to that, Related Companies [a partner company] has given every factory employee, $3,000 in their 401(k).’” (“Toomey Visits DelCo Factory To Tout GOP Tax Overhaul,” WHYY, 2/20/2018)

OHIO: GKM Auto Parts owner Kelly Moore: “Under the Affordable Care Act, our company has faced double digit increases in health care costs year after year, causing us to drop coverage in 2016. Because of the cost savings from tax reform, we are reinstating this important benefit for our employees and we want to thank Senator Portman for his work to help make this possible.  We take great pride in our employees and we are excited about how this will help them and how tax reform will help our company and our community.” (Sen. Portman, Press Release, 2/23/2018)

• SEN. ROB PORTMAN (R-OH): “The fact that GKM Auto Parts is reinstating health care benefits for its workers is great news, and I’m excited that we continue to see real, tangible benefits from tax reform. This is exactly what Congress intended to accomplish while developing tax reform.” (Sen. Portman, Press Release, 2/23/2018)

• SEN. ROB PORTMAN (R-OH): “I recently met with employees at Bruns General Contracting, a small employee-owned business in Tipp City, as it announced plans to purchase new and more productive equipment, hire more workers, take on new jobs, and increase retirement benefits as a result of the savings from the new law. I’ve also visited small businesses in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and more that have reinvested in their operations, their employees, or both with the savings from tax reform.” (Sen. Portman, Op-Ed, Xenia Daily Gazette, 2/27/2018)

MONTANA: “Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., attended a meet-n-greet at Stricks Ag Friday … The stop, Daines said, marked the 15th of a tour across the state he is taking to hear from business owners and other Montanans about how they are being impacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017…. Daines said that based on what he has heard from people while traveling throughout Montana, the cuts have already begun to benefit the economy. ‘We are already starting to see payrolls being adjusted to reflect the lower rates. Montanans are saying “Hey I am actually seeing a reduction in my taxes here and a bump in my pay,”’ he said.” (“Daines Stops In Chester On Tour Of State,” Havre [MT] Daily News, 2/26/2018)

• “A lumber mill in Thompson Falls boosted the pay of its employees by $1 an hour and purchased a new high-lift for the first time in 19 years because of the tax cuts, Daines said. A fabricator in Billings, he said, is looking to hire 35 additional employees because of the cuts. ‘These are the stories I am hearing across Montana,’ Daines said.” (“Daines Stops In Chester On Tour Of State,” Havre [MT] Daily News, 2/26/2018)

WEST VIRGINIA: “Recently passed federal legislation is already benefiting small businesses, workers and their families, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito told local leaders Wednesday. Capito, R-W.Va., and U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.Va., spoke with small business owners and local leaders in Huntington …” (“Capito, Jenkins Report On Positive Impact Of Tax Reform,” The [Huntington, WV] Herald-Dispatch, 2/23/2018)

• Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bill Bissett: “In the Huntington region, we’re witnessing an increased optimism when it comes to business, and I would suggest that part of that optimism is connected to tax reform. Whether it puts more money back into the private sector or into the hands of employees, it gives us more opportunity to support and grow our existing businesses here at home, and also increase the incomes of working West Virginians.” (Sen. Capito, Press Release, 2/21/2018)

• SEN. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO (R-WV): “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our communities, which is why helping small businesses grow and succeed was a key part of our tax reform efforts. It’s exciting to hear how the new tax law is already benefiting small businesses, workers, and individuals in Huntington and across the state.” (Sen. Capito, Press Release, 2/21/2018)

KANSAS: SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS): “Congratulations to UPS for investing $280 million in Lenexa and Edgerton and creating 380 new Kansas jobs. Great to visit their facility and see firsthand their work to adapt to a dynamic, growing & vibrant economy.” (Sen. Roberts, @SenPatRoberts, Twitter, 2/21/2018)

TENNESSEE: SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TN): “Because of the new tax law the Republican-led Congress passed in December, Tennessee families and businesses should keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets…. Perhaps one of the most exciting things about this law is that it also cut taxes on businesses, which will help create more good-paying jobs and raise wages for Tennesseans. Tennesseans are already beginning to see the impact – Memphis-based FedEx announced over $200 million in pay raises, First Tennessee gave its employees a $1,000 bonus, and Wal-Mart increased its starting wage and provided a $1,000 bonus to eligible employees. These are just a few examples, and I’m optimistic there will be many more.” (Sen. Alexander, Press Release, 2/21/2018)

GEORGIA: SENS. JOHNNY ISAKSON (R-GA) & DAVID PERDUE (R-GA): “The tax cuts passed by the U.S. Senate and signed into law by President Donald J. Trump are already having a positive impact across the country…. Here in Georgia, we are seeing this positive impact firsthand. In Marietta, Expanded Technologies, Inc., is giving a minimum bonus of $500 to every employee. Lockheed Martin is increasing its employee training initiatives and charitable contributions by $200 million, and the company is contributing an additional $5 billion toward employee pensions. Carl Black Automotive Group in Kennesaw is giving bonuses to more than 500 employees. Family-owned and operated Shred-X Corporation in Griffin is purchasing new equipment and hiring a new employee for its 10-person shop. In Austell, Yancey Brothers, a heavy construction equipment dealer, is giving $500 bonuses to 1,200 employees. The Starbucks plant in Augusta is creating 500 new manufacturing jobs and announcing a $120 million expansion as part of an overall increased investment in America that will generate thousands of jobs.” (Sens. Isakson and Perdue, Op-Ed, “Tax Cuts Are Helping Georgians,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2/22/2018)

• SENS. ISAKSON and PERDUE: “Mincey Marble in Gainesville is giving bonuses of up to $1,000. Donna Mincey, Mincey Marble CEO, put it this way: ‘Companies big and small are passing along tax savings to the workers who help build our economy.’ She added that these tax cuts are ‘the kind of meaningful change that can help transform communities by bringing relief to American workers and families.’” (Sens. Isakson and Perdue, Op-Ed, “Tax Cuts Are Helping Georgians,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2/22/2018)

MISSISSIPPI: SEN. ROGER WICKER (R-MS): “The first tax reform law in a generation should make a big impact, one that goes far beyond the additional money that most employees have started to see in their paychecks. A modernized tax system is an opportunity to improve the ways in which Americans live and work, creating a positive environment that cultivates both economic growth and a high quality of life.” (Sen. Wicker, Op-Ed, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 2/27/2018)