Washington, D.C. — Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, representing the Greater Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, joined his colleagues today in passing a historic budget that delivers for our region. Just seven months into office, Congressman Mackenzie has helped to prevent the largest tax increase in history, provide tax relief for working families and seniors, modernize our military, and secure the border once and for all.

“As we began this term, we understood what the people of the Greater Lehigh Valley were counting on: lower costs, a stronger economy, secure borders, and policies that put America First,” said Congressman Mackenzie. “This budget follows through on those priorities — delivering tax relief to local families, supporting small businesses, protecting essential benefits for vulnerable populations, and providing the resources to modernize our military and secure the border once and for all. In the face of relentless opposition from those who advocated for the largest tax increase in American history and a return to open borders, we’ve passed a budget that holds firm and keeps our promise to the American people.”

The bill, passed by the U.S. House, includes major reforms and new investments that reflect the priorities of the American people.

Key Provisions:

• Tax Relief for Families and Seniors: The budget keeps rates unchanged for high-income earners while delivering new tax relief to the people who need it most — permanently increasing the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 (was $1,000 prior to TCJA) and indexing it to inflation; permanently increasing the standard deduction to $15,750 (was $6,350 prior to TCJA) and indexing it to inflation; and adding a $6,000 deduction for seniors earning under $75,000 ($150,000 for couples, phases out beyond this threshold).  This budget also prevents the largest tax increase in American history — avoiding a 22% tax hike on the average taxpayer, protecting 6 million jobs, and delivering bigger paychecks for working families.
• Support for Workers: It eliminates federal taxes on tips and overtime pay through 2028 and creates a new deduction for interest on auto loans for American-made vehicles.
• Protecting Vital Programs: The budget protects and strengthens Medicaid with common sense reforms — limiting benefits for illegal immigrants and adding work requirements for able-bodied adults. This final budget also strengthens SNAP — incentivizing states with high error rates to remove waste while ensuring that states with low error rates see no changes to benefit cost share.
• Help for Small Businesses: Small business owners can now permanently deduct 20% of their qualified business income and immediately expense investments in new equipment, factories, and research and development.
• Border Security Funding: The budget invests $150 billion to complete border barriers, hire more Border Patrol and ICE agents, expand deportation capacity, and stop deadly fentanyl and human trafficking at the southern border.
• Defense Investments: Provides hundreds of billions to strengthen U.S. military readiness, modernize shipbuilding and missile defense, improve conditions for servicemembers, and counter growing threats from China while also investing in rural infrastructure and economic development.
• Unleashes American Energy: Creates jobs and reduces energy costs by eliminating barriers to domestic energy production, including by allowing more leases and reducing royalties.

Congressman Mackenzie also condemned the efforts in recent months to prevent Congress from delivering on its promises to the American people.

“The people of our region have been forced to experience a well-financed and well-coordinated effort by special interests and radical groups to spread lies and sow panic,” said Congressman Mackenzie. “These organizations have burned millions of dollars in a desperate attempt to mislead the public and protect government waste — falsely portraying commonsense provisions like part-time work requirements and bans on government benefits for illegal immigrants as catastrophic cuts. I will continue to protect critical benefits for vulnerable populations in our communities, and I will continue to fight for the priorities of Greater Lehigh Valley families.”

Bill text is available HERE.

Information provided to TVL by:
Arnaud Armstrong