Austin News

March 10, 2025

In a recent address on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn from Texas challenged claims made by Democrats regarding the extension of individual tax provisions under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. According to Cornyn, failing to extend these provisions would result in a tax increase for over 60% of Americans.

Cornyn criticized his Democratic colleagues, stating, "Our Democratic colleagues, some of them have been claiming that extending these tax cut provisions… will benefit the very rich at the expense of the rest of us." He suggested there is an effort to mislead the public about the necessity of extending these cuts: "It’s almost as if there is a concerted or orchestrated effort to use disinformation and propaganda to try to prejudice the American people against what it is we need to do in order to avoid this huge tax increase on the vast majority of Americans."

He highlighted how inflation has affected low-income families disproportionately: "The 40-year high inflation that we have experienced in the last few years has a disproportionate effect on low-income families." Cornyn accused Democrats of exacerbating inflation through their policies: "To add insult to injury, what did our Democratic colleagues do when they were in the majority... they poured gasoline on the fire of inflation by using reconciliation to pass something called the Inflation Reduction Act."

Cornyn argued that Republicans are more aligned with everyday Americans' concerns than Democrats: "Given the inflationary and regressive policies that the Democrats promoted during the last four years, it’s ironic...to hear them accuse Republicans of being disconnected from everyday Americans." He attributed Republican electoral successes to their connection with voter concerns about overspending and border issues.

He warned about potential consequences if Congress does not act: "If Congress fails to extend the Trump Tax Cuts that expire at the end of this year, the average family of four making $75,000 a year will face a $1,500 tax increase next year. Working families will see the child tax credit cut in half." Concluding his remarks, he emphasized that "The American people simply cannot afford a tax increase on top of 40-year-high inflation."