U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA), who chairs the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, issued a statement following President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address. In his remarks, Rep. Kelly praised the administration’s efforts during its first year back in office.
“In just his first year back in the White House, President Trump and his America First agenda have restored American greatness both at home and abroad. I was honored to work with the President to craft common sense, pro-growth tax policy in the Working Families Tax Cuts, which are now delivering historic returns for hardworking Pennsylvania families,” said Rep. Kelly. “America is stronger, more prosperous, and more respected around the world than it was just one year ago. As we look forward to our Nation’s 250th anniversary, I look forward to working with President Trump to address the critical issues facing the American people.”
During this period, Rep. Kelly collaborated with President Trump on several legislative initiatives affecting Pennsylvania residents. He supported the Working Families Tax Cuts—also called “One Big Beautiful Bill”—which made permanent and expanded Opportunity Zones legislation and allowed taxpayers to deduct auto loan interest.
Rep. Kelly also joined President Trump at an event promoting clean coal and energy production in Pennsylvania, which is among the top three coal-producing states in the country. The administration announced a deal in November 2025 aimed at reducing costs for GLP-1 weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound; this followed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Kelly to provide Medicare coverage for these medications.
Other actions included welcoming U.S. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Scott Turner to Erie for tours related to Opportunity Zones and housing initiatives, participating in executive actions that rolled back previous vehicle emissions standards, and hosting events marking St. Patrick’s Day with congressional leaders.
The Working Families Tax Cuts brought significant changes for taxpayers: average refunds increased by 14%, with some families seeing nearly $4,000 per person returned during tax season. A family of four earning up to $73,000 could see no federal tax liability due to adjustments in deductions and credits.
The law also eliminated taxes on tips for service workers and overtime pay for various professions while increasing deductions for seniors receiving Social Security benefits. New provisions include investment accounts for newborns and an increased Child Tax Credit indexed to inflation.
Small businesses benefited from making permanent a 20 percent deduction expected to create millions of jobs over time. Family farms saw higher exemptions from estate taxes (“Death Tax”), while new policies supporting manufacturing were projected to protect or create over one million jobs through incentives like full expensing of new factories.
Mike Kelly has represented Pennsylvania’s 16th district since 2011 after succeeding Kathy Dahlkemper (https://kelly.house.gov/about). Born in Pittsburgh in 1948, he resides in Butler (https://www.pennlive.com/news/erry-2018/06/cd2fcbdfc82944/meet-mike-kelly-pennsylvanias.html) and graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in 1970.
