Alert

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) took to the Senate floor to discuss the immediate, positive impact the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is having on hardworking families and our economy. Blunt shared personal stories from Missourians who have benefited from tax reform, and previewed more good news ahead as Americans start taking home more money in their paychecks and investor-owned utility companies lower rates.

CLICK HERE To Watch Senator Blunt’s Full Remarks

Following are excerpts from Blunt’s remarks:

“The Central Bank of St. Louis, which has over 2,000 people, gave a $1,000 bonus to all their full-time employees. The 246 part-time employees they had will get a $500 bonus. Charter Communications gave an announcement, as many people have, that they're going to increase their own minimum - whatever their minimum salaries had been in the past - those are going to be higher now. … Commerce Bancshares in Kansas City, they have more than 2,300 employees in Missouri, and they gave a $1,000 bonus to all of their full-time employees and a $250 bonus to their part-time employees. Mid-Am Metal Forming in southwest Missouri gave all 140 of their employees a cash bonus.

“This is not, Mr. President, about just big companies. This is about little companies, looking at how they want to grow, and knowing that to grow, they need to keep a workforce that can be part of that growth. Great Southern Bank in my hometown of Springfield, has over 800 Missouri employees. They gave, again, a $1,000 bonus to the full-time employees and a $500 bonus to the part-time employees. …

“It doesn't sound like crumbs to people who are getting those bonuses and they're seeing what they can do with them. Solomon Essex who is a warehouse worker for Dynamic Fasteners in Raytown, told us he was using his $1,000 to help his daughter buy a car. Mary Beth Hartman, who owns a construction company in Springfield, said, one, I have been able to offer my long-time employees a week vacation that they didn't have before. They're getting plenty of overtime, they have job security, and also she is creating new jobs in her business. …

“I said several times. There are two ways to increase your take-home pay: one is for the government to take less out of it and another one is for you to get a better job to start with and we are already beginning to see both of those things happen.”