Billings Gazette - Mike Pence: Our agenda is Working for Montana

Op-Ed

By Mike Pence

When I visit Billings on Wednesday, I will deliver an important message to the good people of Montana on behalf of President Donald Trump. We're delivering for Montana every day -- and we're just getting started.

Simply look at the historic tax cuts we enacted last December. They're the largest tax cuts and tax reform in American history.

Thanks to our actions, the first $24,000 of income for a married couple is now 100 percent income-tax free, nearly double what it was before. We also doubled the child tax credit to $2,000.

And we cut out the core of Obamacare by eliminating the individual mandate tax. Montanans will no longer be forced to buy government-mandated health insurance they don't want and can't afford.

All told, because of our tax cuts, the typical family of four in Montana will save more than $2,200 on their taxes every single year.

And working families can expect even more money because of our tax cuts for job creators.

It's a truth of history: Tax cuts for business mean a pay raise for workers, and Montana businesses are already responding with renewed action and investment.

Billings Flying Service is investing in new equipment and research that will benefit its workers for years to come. Loenbro, a Montana-based manufacturing company, used their tax cuts savings to give workers better benefits and buy new equipment that will help them grow and create more jobs. And across the state, Wal-Mart handed out nearly $4 million in bonuses to more than 3,400 Montana workers.

All told, thousands of Montanans have received pay raises, better benefits, and cash bonuses, thanks to our tax cuts. But this is just the beginning.

As businesses keep expanding and investing, we expect that wages for Montana families will rise by more than $3,500 in the years ahead.

Montana is represented by strong Republican leaders in our nation's capital who helped pass President Trump's historic tax cuts -- including Sen. Steve Daines and Congressman Greg Gianforte. They stood with our president to put more money in the pockets of working families and job creators, and they deserve Montana's thanks.

But the same can't be said of Sen. Jon Tester. Tester voted against cutting your taxes. In fact, time and again, he votes against the policies that are helping Montana workers.

The evidence is clear: Our agenda is delivering results for Big Sky Country.

President Trump has signed more laws rolling back federal red tape than any president in American history, and our administration has eliminated 22 federal regulations for every new rule put on the books.

We've unleashed affordable American energy to power our factories, farms, and homes. We're standing up to predatory trade practices from countries like China. And we're fighting tirelessly to break down trade barriers across the world, so Montana's farmers and ranchers will have new opportunities to expand and export and create more jobs right here in Big Sky Country.

Since Montana voted to send President Trump to the White House, America's job creators have added nearly 3.7 million new jobs, including 6,000 in Big Sky Country. Montana's unemployment has fallen to its lowest level since before the Great Recession, and here in Billings, the unemployment rate is nearly 40 percent lower than the national average.

Across America, we've also reached record low unemployment for both Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans. The American Dream is once again working for every American.

But for all we've done, there's still more work to do. The good people of Montana can be assured that we will continue to keep our promises to you.

Under President Trump, the forgotten men and women of America are forgotten no more. In the days ahead, with the continued support of the hardworking men and women of Montana, we'll finish what we've started, and we will Make America Great Again.

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