Congressman Kevin Hern (R-Oklahoma’s 1st District) addressed Americans for Tax Reform’s annual pre-Tax Day press conference, hosted by Grover Norquist.
Hern, a longtime business owner and job creator, talked about how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has been beneficial for his district.
“As a business owner and job creator for over 34 years, I know what burdensome tax policy looks like,” Hern said. “Since reform was passed, Oklahomans have seen a windfall of economic growth, wage increases, more jobs, better benefits, and the list goes on and on.
“In fact, we have a great example in our district — Tulsa-based QuikTrip is a very large 800-unit chain that has gas stations, convenience stores, and is constantly improving and innovating.
“They give all of the credit of their continued growth and all they’ve done for their employees, the bonuses they’ve given to their hourly employees, not to just their leadership, that they’ve given because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. And there are many other examples around our district from that particular tax cut.”
Hern also touched on how the Republican tax law has driven prosperity around the country.
“You know, this was a crucial step in turning around our economy, and President Trump continued to push and push and he continues to push about growing our economy with pro-growth policies, and it’s a clear indicator of success and it’s working,” Hern said.
“We need to create more jobs, put Americans in those jobs, because that’s what drives our prosperity in this country – job creation, and putting Americans in those jobs.”
Hern drew a bright line between the tax and spend liberalism of the Democrat Party and the Republican tax cuts.
“Compared to our friends across the aisle who want to increase our rates to 70 percent, 90 percent, I don’t think anybody in this room or anybody in American wants to work and give 90 percent of their income to the federal government.
“In fact, it ought to be the opposite of that, and that’s why we’ve seen the great growth that we’ve seen and why we will continue to see it.”
Hern concluded his remarks with a call to make the tax cuts permanent, saying: “We’ve gotta continue our work, continue our job to make this permanent as we get beyond 2025.”
Read ATR’s extensive list of tax reform good news in Oklahoma here.