Congressional committee promotes Donald Trump’s tax cuts at the Iowa State Fair
On Friday, members of the U.S. House Budget Committee swapped the polished furnishings of their Washington, DC hearing rooms for bales of hay and a replica of the Iowa State Fair’s famous butter cow.
The committee held a public hearing at the Iowa State Fair to highlight “the positive impact and importance” of former Republican President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, provisions of which expire at the end of 2025.
“The State Fair couldn’t be more different than the halls of Congress, and that’s exactly why we’re here – to listen to ordinary people, the people who run a small business, work on their farm or the people who are just trying to raise money for their families,” said committee chairman, Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri.
Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who represents Iowa’s 4th congressional district and is a member of the committee, welcomed his colleagues to the “breadbasket of the world.” Seven other Republican committee members joined him, but no Democrats made the trip.
Other Republican members of the Iowa House of Representatives, U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, attended the hearing as guests.
Key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress extends them. The law has lowered tax rates across the board, although some groups have benefited more than others. If the provisions are not extended, tax rates will revert to their previous levels.
Republicans are touting the law as a strengthening of American families and businesses.
“The lesson we should take from Trump’s tax cuts is that if we put working families first, help small businesses succeed and give Americans the tools to outdo China, America will win,” Smith said. “Democrats in Washington, including Vice President Harris, see it differently. They see working families as ATMs that they can use to finance their high government spending.”
Democrats ridiculed the tax cuts because they disproportionately benefited the rich.
“It was really disappointing to see the list of speakers here today,” said Matt Sinvoic, executive director of the progressive advocacy group Progress Iowa. “Of course everyone deserves a voice in their government, but there is not a single person representing the middle class or working families. I can’t imagine a person making less than $100,000 a year. And we know that the tax law favors the extremely wealthy. So the voices of the millions and millions of families who won’t get a dime from this law need to be represented here today.”
Witnesses scheduled to testify before the committee included Karen Dewalt, vice president of global tax at The Home Depot; Sarah Curry, director of research for the Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation; Jolene Riessen, a farmer and president of the Iowa Corngrowers Association; Steve Sukup, president and CEO of Sukup Manufacturing Co.; and Lana Pol, owner of several companies including Greetings Inc.
Curry said that as a mother of three boys, her family benefited “immediately” from many of the measures in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, with the expansion of the child tax credit “at the top of the list.” She said not extending the tax cuts would hurt families like hers.
“As a policy expert and, more importantly, as a mother, I can attest that the increased tax burden would hurt my family and many others at both the federal and state levels,” she said. “My family’s tax burden directly impacts the amount of income my husband and I can spend on our three young children and the pressures of spending time away from them and working. Having a child with special needs makes us especially vulnerable.”
Riessen said that as she nears retirement, she’s starting to think more about how to pass her farm on to her children. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act increased the estate tax exemption, which benefits farmers who pass land and expensive farm property on to their children.
“If these tax regulations change, it would be catastrophic for us and many others,” Riessen said.
The conversation took place against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential election, which could have dramatic implications for the future of tax policy.
Trump has indicated that he wants to extend the 2017 tax cuts and possibly go even further.
Before ending his re-election campaign, Democratic President Joe Biden campaigned on extending lower income tax rates only for individuals earning less than $400,000 a year while phasing them out for high earners and corporations. He said he wanted to raise the corporate tax rate.
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris voted against the bill as a senator in 2017. And while she has yet to put forward a comprehensive tax policy proposal, she endorsed Biden’s promise to protect households earning $400,000 or less from tax increases.
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the Des Moines Register’s chief political reporter. She is also USA TODAY’s senior national campaign correspondent covering the 2024 presidential race. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.
