For the crew at Auto-Jet in Clive, overtime pay covers the bills at the end of a long month. For the servers at Whiskey River in Ankeny, tips are the majority of every paycheck. This week, I brought Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to both businesses to hear firsthand how the Working Families Tax Cuts are helping hardworking Iowans keep more in every paycheck. ⬇️
What we heard: At Auto-Jet, we walked the floor with the crew — the ones pulling 10- and 12-hour shifts to keep up with demand. They told me that with no tax on overtime, every extra hour finally puts real dollars back in their pockets.
At Whiskey River, servers showed us what no tax on tips really means. The average server in Iowa earns about $24,900 a year, and thanks to the new tip deduction I fought to secure, Iowa servers will be able to keep more of every dollar they earn by paying no federal tax on up to $25,000 in qualified tip income.
Why it matters: The best way to measure whether a policy is working is to hear directly from the people it’s affecting. That means listening to Iowans on factory floors and across tables throughout our community — not just about what we delivered, but about what’s next to make life more affordable for Iowa families.
Bottom Line: It’s one thing to talk about tax relief in Washington. It’s another to hear from the welder keeping more of his overtime and the server keeping more of her tips. That’s why I visit every county and bring leaders like Acting Secretary Sonderling to Iowa — because Washington makes better decisions when it starts listening to Iowans.