A year of results for Alabama families
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Op-ed By U.S. Sen. Katie Britt
The past year has certainly been a memorable one – and, more importantly, a rewarding one.
Beginning the year by leading the Laken Riley Act through the Senate and to President Trump’s desk – and seeing it become the first bill he signed into law in his second term – was just the start of what we have accomplished for Alabamians and Americans alike. President Trump and Republicans campaigned on cracking down on illegal migration, and this legislation sent an immediate and unmistakable message to the nation: we intended to keep that promise.
Since then, in less than a year, border crossings have reached historic lows, and as a result, countless lives have been saved. Whether it’s stopping deadly fentanyl or violent criminals from crossing our border, the success in securing our nation is undeniable.
Another issue Republicans were tasked with cleaning up is an inherited economy plagued by record inflation, soaring grocery prices, and an energy industry in shambles. Under Republican leadership, significant strides have been made to restore affordability and economic stability, starting with unleashing American energy.
President Biden ended his term with the highest gas prices in our nation’s history. In less than a year, average gas prices dropped to their lowest level in more than four years. This didn’t happen by chance.
Energy prices are finally lowering thanks to cutting government red tape and overturning Biden-era regulations that were suffocating our energy producers. This has resulted in lower energy costs, which are a critical first step to bring down prices across the board, namely groceries.
Making America energy dominant again is just one piece of the puzzle, though. Another landmark piece of legislation Republicans delivered was the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. This resulted in the largest tax cut in U.S. history, putting millions of Americans on track to keep more of their hard-earned money.
Whether it’s a larger tax refund, no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, or Social Security relief for seniors, the benefits of this legislation will soon be felt by families across Alabama as our economy continues to rebound.
We achieved another historic win by updating child care tax credits. This priority was personal to me – before my children were old enough for school, we struggled to find child care that had two spots open. After finally securing care, we were shocked when it felt like we were writing checks to college, not child care. Experiencing the issue of both affordability and availability of childcare is what led me to be at the tip of the spear in fighting to modernize three child care tax credits.
We permanently increased the Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP) for the first time since 1986, when Ronald Reagan was president. Parents can now set aside up to $7,500, a 50% increase.
We also permanently updated the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), a provision that hadn’t been touched in more than two decades. This change will directly cut taxes for nearly 4 million working families.
Lastly, we gave the Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F) its first major upgrade in nearly 25 years – and made it permanent. This means more employers can help cover child care – a win for businesses and a lifeline for working parents.
Democrats had been talking about the issue of child care for decades, but it was Republicans who took action. Republicans are the party of families, and it’s paramount we continue to find ways to responsibly support them. While this was an important step, I will continue to fight for families and to find ways to address the affordability and availability of child care.
The results we have seen in D.C. have been matched by incredible results in Alabama. From the Shoals to the Shores, from the Wiregrass to Jackson County and everywhere in between – we put the needs of hardworking Alabamians front and center.
This year, we celebrated the Port of Mobile becoming the deepest container port in the Gulf of America. We also secured tremendous commitments from businesses looking to expand their footprint across our state.
In my first year in office, I secured funding to relaunch Tuskegee University’s aviation science program, and I was proud to join their community this year to celebrate the first students who received their pilot licenses.
And finally, we permanently relocated U.S. Space Command Headquarters to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Thanks to the work of Alabama’s entire congressional delegation and President Trump’s support, Space Command will now proudly call Alabama home. This relocation will bring thousands of jobs to our state and further strengthen Alabama’s vital role in our national defense.
While I am proud of what we’ve accomplished this year, I recognize there is still more work to be done. Whether it’s fixing Democrats’ health care crisis, taking on Big Tech and protecting our children online through meaningful social media legislation, or ensuring Alabama has the resources and tools it needs to thrive for generations to come, I will keep fighting every day for our state and nation.
Serving you remains one of the greatest blessings of my life, and I will continue to give you everything I have.
