Happy Passover | Budget Resolution Passes Both Chambers

Headline: House Passes Budget Resolution

.On Thursday the House passed the Senate amendment to the House’s budget resolution, meaning it has now passed both chambers and we can move forward with the next step of the budget reconciliation process. I spoke on the House floor the day before about my support for the bill.

As a reminder, the budget reconciliation process begins with a budget resolution passed by both chambers. It is the framework that instructs each committee of jurisdiction to write their portion of a budget reconciliation bill, which must then pass both chambers. It needs a simple majority in both the House and the Senate before heading to the president’s desk for his signature.

The version of the resolution we passed did not go as far as I would have liked – it did not have the needed and common sense spending reductions that were in the House version. However, it unlocks the next step of the process, and I’m committed to ensuring we reduce wasteful spending as we work through the actual writing of the reconciliation bill.

I serve on the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, trade, Social Security and some health care.

Our top priority is extending the pro-family, pro-worker, pro-growth policies of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. If we don’t, the average Kansan will see a tax increase of about $2,200 per year. That’s because the double Child Tax Credit, increased standard deduction and lower rates for middle-class families will be gone.

Additionally, Republicans and the president have made it clear that no American will be denied the Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits they deserve. We will root out waste, fraud and abuse. And as I reminded my colleagues in a Joint Economic Committee hearing this week, every dollar that is saved by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse is a dollar that can go toward paying benefits to those who have earned them.

We’ve been working for more than a year preparing to deliver America First policies for the American people, and now we’ve passed the first milestone of the process.

.Tax Day is this Tuesday, April 15, which means that Kansans have a few days left to file their federal and state income taxes.

The IRS offers a helpful resource for those who need guidance for filing their taxes at irs.gov.

As in previous years, the IRS is offering its Free File tax preparation software to people who meet the eligibility requirements. Free File allows qualified participants to prepare and file federal income tax returns online at no cost.

The eligibility requirements can be found at irs.gov, along with available filing software companies for guided tax software options or Free File Fillable Forms that you complete on your own. Please note, however, that some IRS Free File providers charge a fee for state tax preparation.

.Last week the House passed H.R. 1526, the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA), by a vote of 219 to 213. The act limits the nationwide injunctions issued by U.S. district court judges to apply to only the parties involved in each case. I voted in favor of this act to restore the separation of powers in America.

Over the past few months, we have seen rogue, activist district judges abusing the power of the judiciary by halting President Trump’s executive orders. Policy decisions should be left up to the elected branches of government – not unelected lower court judges. When activist judges are siding with criminals in this country illegally, it's imperative to stand with the American people and limit the overreach of unelected judges in district courts.

The Supreme Court is the proper venue for nationwide rulings, and House Republicans are voting to ensure that the power belongs to the highest court.

.On Thursday the House passed H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, to ensure that America’s elections remain secure. The bill requires proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections. I supported the act because American citizens should be the only ones who vote in American elections.

Millions of illegal immigrants were released into the United States under President Biden. Depending on the state, they were sometimes eligible to receive driver’s licenses and provided the opportunity to illegally register to vote. The SAVE Act mandates that states remove noncitizens from their voter rolls.

Furthermore, Democrats have falsely claimed that the bill prevents women from registering to vote. The truth is, the bill protects women’s right to vote and provides more than six types of acceptable identification.

I know that election security is important to Kansans throughout the 4th District. That’s why I’m working to protect the constitutional right to vote and restore confidence in elections.