As high school graduations are taking place in communities throughout Missouri’s 8th District and across America in recent weeks, many graduates face uncertainty as they embark on their next chapter, whether it be college, entering the workforce, joining the military, or learning a trade. These young men and women represent the future of our country, and we owe it to them to create an environment of opportunity, not one plagued by inflation, job-killing policies, and doubt about what lies ahead. As part of the Working Families Tax Cuts, which I authored, we enacted tax relief for students no matter the path in life they choose.

For graduates who are choosing to start working right away, there are numerous pro-growth tax policies included in the Working Families Tax Cuts, which I authored, that are already creating new opportunities, good paying jobs, and certainty to chase the American Dream just like generations before them. For example, the Small Business Tax Deduction, also known as 199A, provides long-term certainty that gives comparable tax relief to small businesses that large corporations receive. This provision alone is estimated to create 1 million jobs every year for the next 10 years, and 2 million jobs per year in the decade after. That helps provide real opportunity for those newly entering the workforce.

For students who have decided to pursue a trade or skilled profession, our legislation gives new relief for students to pursue their interest in learning a trade. The new Workforce Pell Grant allows students to use Pell grant money towards certificate programs that can be completed in as little as 8 to 15 weeks, ensuring the working class can benefit from this assistance just as much as students who choose to go to college. We also expanded 529 accounts to allow the money to be used for vocational training or professional licensing, making it easier to pursue a career. For students who choose to attend college, we also expanded the amount employers can repay in student loans for employees.

Perhaps most significantly, every American child, regardless of background, gets a stake in the U.S. economy and is eligible to receive a Trump investment Account, giving them an opportunity to start their adult life with a meaningful financial head start when they reach 18 and begin their next chapter of life. For every American born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, they will receive a $1,000 seed investment into their Trump Account that will grow as they get older thanks to compound interest. For the next generation, this will be a tremendous head start in their lives.  

This is a pro-family, pro-future initiative, and it has already inspired remarkable generosity. Texas philanthropists Michael and Susan Dell pledged to invest $250 into the Trump Accounts of 25 million American children — a $6.25 billion investment in the next generation directed toward kids in middle- and low-income households. That kind of contribution shows exactly what this program can become as families, churches, employers, and private foundations all pitch in to benefit the future of our nation.

The graduates walking across the stage this spring worked hard to get there, and they deserve every opportunity to succeed in the years ahead. Republicans in Congress are determined to help them with the challenges they face now, while also looking ahead to the next generation and giving our children and grandchildren the foundation to dream bigger and achieve more. That is the kind of future worth investing in, and it is exactly what we delivered.