Making Government Work for You

IMPROVING THE TAXPAYER EXPERIENCE Longstanding bipartisan work has culminated in the Taxpayer Assistance and Service (TAS) Act , which includes over sixty provisions designed to modernize IRS operations, strengthen taxpayer rights and improve the taxpayer experience . It enjoys the support of many individuals and organizations committed to improving tax administration, including the nonpartisan National Taxpayer Advocate . Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed this important legislation, bringing us one step closer to delivering these long-overdue reforms. After years of work, I look forward to seeing this bill through and getting it to President Trump’s desk. Here are some of the TAS Act’s major provisions: Requires the IRS to accept and process all returns electronically , helping taxpayers receive refunds faster; Expands online account services , including the “Where’s My Refund?” tracker; Requires the IRS to offer a callback option if a call goes unanswered for five minutes, so taxpayers do not have to sit on hold for hours; Allows voluntary withholding for independent contractors, including gig economy workers; and Gives the National Taxpayer Advocate access to more internal IRS information, enhancing their ability to independently assist taxpayers and advise Congress. Click HERE or above to watch my remarks about the TAS Act on the Senate Floor. EXPANDING ACCESS TO CANCER CARE This year, one of my longstanding legislative priorities, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act , became law. The act ensures Medicare beneficiaries will be able to access cutting-edge cancer screening tests , improving the likelihood of catching cancer early when treatment is most effective. I was honored to be given the National Distinguished Advocacy Award from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in recognition of my work on the law. ACS CAN is an important partner in the fight to improve cancer research and treatment. I also spoke to the American Association for Cancer Research about the MCED Screening Coverage Act and the broader cancer policy landscape. Read more in their annual cancer report HERE . SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT’S NOMINEES Swift consideration of the President’s nominees is essential to ensuring key positions across the federal government are filled and federal agencies can effectively carry out their responsibilities. The Committee recently considered nominees for Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, each the second-highest-ranking position in its department, as well as for a U.S. Tax Court judgeship and other senior positions at HHS and Treasury. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Francis Brooke Jr. was confirmed by the full Senate on August 7 alongside other Treasury nominees and is now working to implement the Working Families Tax Cuts and promote economic growth. You can learn more about these officials and nominees HERE and HERE . ADVANCING AMERICA’S PRIORITIES One of the Finance Committee’s duties is to conduct oversight of the executive agencies and departments within its jurisdiction. In recent months, I have held hearings with key Cabinet officials to review their budgets and plans for the coming year, and to discuss how we can continue working together to benefit the American people. Trade: At a hearing on the annual trade agenda, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and I discussed how to build a policy and enforcement regime that achieves longstanding trade goals like maximizing market access for American exports . He provided updates on his office’s efforts to investigate unfair trade practices, renegotiate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and strengthen critical mineral supply chains. My fellow members of Idaho’s Congressional Delegation and I later emphasized to Greer in a letter the importance of the USMCA to Idaho’s agricultural industry, noting it helped increase the value of our state’s agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada by nearly 50 percent between 2020 and 2025. Click HERE or above to watch my opening remarks and HERE to watch me question Ambassador Greer. Economy: When Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared before the Committee, I commended him on the Department’s work to implement the Working Families Tax Cuts, which has resulted in big tax refunds for tens of millions of Americans . Secretary Bessent reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment to supporting an expansion of America’s manufacturing capacity and slashing unnecessary regulation. Click HERE to watch my opening remarks and HERE to watch me question Secretary Bessent. Health Care: At the Department of Health and Human Services budget hearing, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. outlined the Department’s progress in carrying out his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, including by “ rooting out fraud, waste and abuse in our Medicare and Medicaid programs,” protecting them for those who truly need support. Click HERE to watch my opening remarks and HERE to watch me question Secretary Kennedy. OVERSIGHT IN ACTION I have been concerned for years about loopholes in Obamacare that allow plan providers to sidestep the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions. Joined by colleagues in the House and Senate, I requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate federally funded Obamacare plans’ coverage of abortion services. The GAO found that about a quarter of those plans do so. I will continue working to protect the conscience rights of taxpayers by ensuring Obamacare complies with the letter and the spirit of the Hyde Amendment. Read more via the Daily Wire HERE or read the report HERE . At my request, GAO also conducted a study on two programs used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to track whether states are properly applying Medicaid eligibility standards. GAO concluded that CMS should systematically analyze the strategies states use to reduce eligibility errors, so it can give better recommendations as states try to improve Medicaid enrollment procedures . Read the report HERE . Recent columns Targeting Fraud The federal government loses hundreds of billions of dollars a year to fraud. This treatment of taxpayers’ hard-earned money is unacceptable, especially as the federal budget deficit remains large, and it weakens confidence in federal programs. I recently co-sponsored a package of bills designed to root out fraud across the federal budget and I will continue working to protect federal programs from abuse. I wrote about this in the Post Register . You can also read about it on my website HERE . A Manufacturing Boom Fueled By Tax Code Permanence When I speak to Idaho businesses, one message is consistent: they want certainty in the tax code. Reliable tax policy makes it easier for them to invest in new facilities, better equipment and stronger workforce development programs. These concerns are particularly acute for manufacturers, who often rely on expensive specialized equipment. By making many pro-growth tax policies permanent, the Working Families Tax Cuts are supporting a boom in manufacturing investment. I wrote about this in the Idaho Statesman and the Bonners Ferry Herald . You can also read about it on my website HERE . Winning: What One Year of Republican Tax Relief Looks Like July 4 marked one year since the Working Families Tax Cuts became law. Since then, the law has produced one of the largest tax refund seasons ever, with tens of millions of Americans taking advantage of new individual tax relief. Many businesses are also reporting that the law is helping them hire and expand operations, contributing to strong economic growth. I wrote about this in the Washington Examiner . You can also read about it on my website HERE . ICYMI: IN THE NEWS Washington Examiner: How the Big Beautiful Bill became law: Making the tax cuts permanent TaxNotes: Top Senate Taxwriters Commit to Extending Manufacturing Credit Washington Examiner: Millionaires got 3%, and working families got 27%. The Left’s tax narrative is dead Post Register: Thank you to Sen. Crapo for leading Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act Inside Health Policy: Senators Push Bipartisan Bill To Expand Federal Health Care Fraud Enforcement The Finance Committee oversees legislation related to federal tax policy; federal social safety net and health care programs, including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; and the implementation of foreign trade agreements. Email Alex_Hughes@finance.senate.gov if you would like to be removed from this list. ###