Neal Statement on the Failure of the Big Ugly Law

WASHINGTON, DC—Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement marking the end of the 2026 tax filing season:

“We knew exactly how this story would unfold because cutting taxes for the wealthy is the only playbook Republicans have. Once again, we were right. Bigger refunds only materialized for the wealthiest, while everyone else was left to shoulder sky-high prices at the grocery store and gas pump. The economic growth they promised amounted to just half a percentage point last quarter—anemic at best. Even the so-called worker-focused provisions are falling short, as Americans realize just how limited and temporary they really are.

“Meanwhile, the IRS was forced to make do with fewer staff this filing season, all while the President sues the agency for $10 billion. Refunds for more than 2 million taxpayers have been tied up for months; it’s taxpayers who pay the price for this Administration’s reckless and poorly planned Executive Orders.

“Selling the American people a false bill of goods comes with consequences. For my Republican colleagues, that means another piece of signature legislation polling so far underwater that it already needs a rebrand.

“Workers and families were promised relief. And this Tax Day, it’s clear: they got higher costs and more frustration at every turn.”

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