Whether you’re a waitress in Tamaqua, a doctor in Danville, a farmer in Lebanon, a senior in Williamsport living on a fixed income, a small business owner in Bloomsburg, or finishing a shift at a coal mine in Schuylkill County, President Trump and Republicans in Congress have remained focused on delivering policies that put the American worker and family first.
Because of the Working Families Tax Cuts, families across PA-09 are seeing real results. Bigger paychecks. Less taxes. Lower energy costs. A stronger Main Street economy. In 2025, we set the policies. In 2026, we deliver the payoff, and if we keep the current team in place to finish the job, that success will continue into the years ahead.
The Biden Years: Inflation, Deficits, Waste, and Decline – The Trump Turnaround
Under the economically inept leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, Americans experienced four years of inflation that reached a 40-year high. Grocery prices climbed 20%. Families across Northeast Central Pennsylvania had sticker shock every time they went to the grocery store. Since then, President Trump has brought inflation down significantly to 2.4%, and grocery prices have stabilized, with a continued focus on lowering costs even further in 2026.
High energy prices hurt families and businesses across our state. Under Biden, average gas prices were over $4 per gallon for nearly his entire presidency. Today, the nationwide average has fallen to $2.98 per gallon, the lowest average in four years.
Rising mortgage rates made homeownership more difficult, but the 30-year fixed rate has now dropped below 6%, from a Biden-era high of 8.5%. House Republicans also advanced the Housing for the 21st Century Act, bipartisan legislation that will reduce mortgage rates, increase housing supply, and ensure veterans can access loan products more easily.
We rooted out more than $215 billion in waste, abuse, and fraud. In October 2025, the U.S. trade deficit narrowed to about $29.4 billion, the lowest since June 2009. The budget deficit in January was $95 billion. If that pace holds for the year, it would put us roughly $800 billion below the nearly $2 trillion deficits we saw under the Biden-Harris Administration. Our fiscal situation still has a long way to go, but the trend is rapidly moving in the right direction.
Cutting Taxes. Protecting Paychecks. Rebuilding Main Street.
Last Independence Day, while families across Pennsylvania’s Ninth District were celebrating the freedoms that make this country so great, President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law.
The Working Families Tax Cuts (WFTC) prevented a $2,500-per-family tax hike, which would’ve been the largest in American history. Instead, we preserved the full $30,000 standard deduction and expanded the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 for 1.4 million Pennsylvania households.
Small businesses make up 99.6% of Pennsylvania employers. They are the hardware stores, family restaurants, machine shops, and contractors that line our Main Streets. The WFTC made permanent immediate R&D expensing, 100% bonus depreciation, and the 20% small business deduction, protecting hundreds of thousands of job creators across the Commonwealth. It also safeguarded 49,000 family-owned farms from having their estate tax exemption cut in half.
It eliminated taxes on tips, overtime, and created a $6,000 senior deduction. That means seniors who worked their entire lives can keep more of what they earned. It means service workers and those who put in extra hours finally see greater rewards for their efforts.
Pennsylvania’s Ninth District powers America. From natural gas fields to coal operations to nuclear energy, our workers keep the lights on across this country. Energy security is national security.
We’ve built incredible momentum under President Trump’s leadership. The last thing the American people want is to reverse course. President Trump and Republicans are committed to building upon this progress, delivering results, and continuing the work we began in 2025.
What’s at Stake in 2026
These policies mean you, your loved ones, and your neighbors across Pennsylvania are keeping roughly $2,500 more this year. Instead of stressing about making ends meet, Americans can enjoy 2026 the way they did before President Biden took office.
Pennsylvanians don’t need to be told what the Biden-era years felt like. They remember high inflation, increased interest rates, and low wages. They remember filling up the truck only halfway.
That is why handing control back to the “architects of inflation” on the Left would be a major mistake. They are asking for a second chance. But families in Pennsylvania’s Ninth District have not forgotten the strain their policies caused. When you work hard for your money, you notice when its value disappears.
We’ve also seen what political obstruction looks like from the Left. The 43-day government shutdown caused by Democrats was all pain and no gain for the American people. Federal workers were worried about their paychecks, and communities worried about critical services like SNAP and Head Start being jeopardized. No real solutions were offered. Even now, we see more disruption than progress as the Democrats force another partial shutdown, this time affecting the Department of Homeland Security. That strategy doesn’t lower prices, create jobs, or help families make ends meet. It only leads to stagnation and inflation.
Now, with President Trump back in office and a Republican Congress, we’re back on a path focused on pro-growth policies, unleashing American energy, strengthening domestic manufacturing, incentivizing more capital investment, and making sure hardworking Americans keep more of what they earn and inspiring an improved quality of life.
The work is far from finished, but we are moving in the right direction under the current leadership. For the sake of families, farmers, seniors, and small business owners across Pennsylvania’s Ninth District, we must stay the course as we usher in the Golden Age of America.
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in Op-Ed posts on Coal Region Canary are those of the author and may not reflect the opinions of this publication.
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