(The Center Square) – Voters’ money in their pocketbooks and wallets polls high with North Carolinians, and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley says that’s a spot with a big difference in his main opponent.
“I absolutely would have voted for it,” Whatley told The Center Square Daily on Wednesday, speaking of the Working Families Tax Cuts, “because I want every family to be able to keep more of their money. They’re going to be better at making spending decisions regarding their own money than the government.”
Whatley was in Zebulon last week as he neared completion of his visits to all 100 counties. There, a roundtable on the legislation included a number of young voters.
“What we went with in that particular roundtable was a group of young voters who are surviving basically on tips and making sure that the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which cut taxes on tips, eliminated them,” Whatley told The Center Daily host Greg Bishop. “Roy Cooper has said that he would have voted against that bill. He wants people to be taxed on their tips, on overtime, and on Social Security.”
Whatley said the average North Carolina household paid $5,700 less in taxes on April 15 than they would have if that bill had not passed.
“And Roy Cooper said that he would have voted against it,” Whatley said.
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act is an 11-point policy initiative, billed as second-term Republican President Donald Trump’s promise to put America first.
It includes permanent tax cuts for workers and families; Trump accounts; Main Street revival; Made in America initiative; school choice; border security; support to farmers and ranchers; initiative to reward hard work by keeping more of the money earned; commitment to sanctity of life; energy dominance; and protection of taxpayer dollars by eliminating fraud and abuse.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday of last week said American families and workers claimed $82 billion in individual relief directly from the Working Families Tax Cuts. Without it, expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would have rendered a $5 trillion tax hike, he said. Ninety-six percent of filers getting a tax cut made less than $200,000, nearly 70% were under $100,000.
More than 7.5 million claimed a no tax on tips deduction at an average of $7,000. More than 29 million claimed a no tax on overtime deduction at an average of $3,100. And more than 35 million seniors claimed the enhanced deduction for seniors at an average of $7,500, the Treasury Department said.
“What we were kind of talking about,” Whatley said, “is the economic policy that the Republican Party is moving forward that I am supporting. What we want to make sure is that people make more and people keep more, and a huge part of that is making sure that we bring down costs and affordability, but also that we’re going to cut taxes and we’re going to make sure that people keep more.”
