News From US Congressman Chuck Edwards

During my first hearing as a Member of the House Committee on Appropriations, I questioned Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra about the Biden administration’s proposal to expand the mandatory side of the federal budget.

Mandatory funding is money that does not have to receive congressional approval through the annual appropriations process, which means less oversight on how taxpayer dollars are spent.

This is troubling, especially given the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s warnings about what increased mandatory spending means for our nation’s growing debt.

From my seat on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Subcommittee, I will continue to exercise Congress’ power of the purse in a way that promotes responsible spending by the federal government and reduces waste of taxpayer dollars.

Watch: Edwards questions HHS Secretary on FY25 budget and increased mandatory spending request

Halting higher taxes on job creators

During a House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, I questioned Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on exactly who benefits with the corporate tax increase proposed in the president’s budget.

The president’s budget would increase the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, one of the highest rates in the world. This tax hike would put the U.S. at an economic disadvantage compared to global competitors like China, disincentivize business investment, reduce hiring and wages of employees, stall company growth, and ultimately hurt our economy.

Through my questioning, it is clear that this administration and I fundamentally disagree on what “corporations” are. The administration has said this tax increase is solely for the rich, but new Census data shows that 99.4 percent of businesses paying corporate tax rates are small businesses with fewer than 500 employees.

These are not big corporations owned by billionaires. They are Main Street businesses run by your neighbors and friends.

Even worse than burdening small businesses with a higher tax rate, the Tax Foundation found that as much as 75 percent of corporate tax increases fall on American workers and consumers in the form of lower wages and higher prices, meaning you will make less but pay more. This pass-through of taxes to consumers and employees are how many small businesses manage to keep their doors open in lieu of burdensome tax policies.

Raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent would be counterproductive, placing American workers and businesses at risk by reducing worldwide competitiveness in the United States.

Restoring America’s energy dominance

Western North Carolinians have had enough of the president’s extreme Green New Deal policies.

This administration’s domestic energy policies are causing prices to rise while also jeopardizing our national security.

This is why, during Energy Week in the House, I helped pass multiple bills to restore America’s energy superiority, including the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act. This bill would nullify the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rule that would significantly restrict oil and gas production on federal lands.

Energy security is critical to our national security, and decisions like the administration’s pause on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports hurts our competitiveness abroad while only benefiting America’s adversaries, including Russia.

President vs. Republican House Budget Committee’s budgetary plans

As a member of the House Budget Committee, I want to shed light on the president’s fiscal year 2025 budget request.

The president’s budget request continues proposes more failed policies and would use taxpayer dollars to fund extreme agendas while funneling billions of taxpayer dollars into bloated government agencies.

It also does not provide adequate funding for the Department of Homeland security to gain operational control of our southern border.

In stark contrast to the president’s budget, the House Budget Committee passed a responsible and sustainable budget resolution that imposes no new taxes, grows our economy three times faster than our debt, balances the budget in 10 years and spends more than $15 trillion less than the president’s budget over the next decade to keep more money in hardworking Western North Carolinians’ pockets.

The Republican House Budget Committee’s budget resolution represents a commitment to fiscal responsibility, economic growth and the prosperity of all Americans. As a member of the Budget Committee, I will continue to push for sensible fiscal policies to make sure the United States is the place of economic prosperity and land of opportunity for generations to come.

Western North Carolinians have to spend over $1,000 more a month

Over the past three years, this administration’s economic policies have caused inflation to rise 18.6 percent, and real weekly earnings to fall 4.2 percent.

Western North Carolinians are still suffering from the consequences of Bidenomics, which is costing folks over $1,000 more a month.

The inflation caused by out-of-control government spending is a tax on every American, and as a member of legislative committees that oversee the spending of taxpayer dollars, I will continue to find opportunities to rein in the reckless spending that is driving up our nation’s debt and restore fiscal responsibility in Washington.