How We Upped Your Tax Refund This Year

Dear Friend,

Spring is around the corner, and it’s been a busy stretch on Capitol Hill. From joining together to support military families and engaging with our Special Operations community to advancing commonsense solutions in the Energy and Commerce Committee, our focus remains simple: delivering results for the people of North Carolina.

With tax season now underway, many Americans are also beginning to see the impact of President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts. I was proud to support this legislation. We will see directly how it rewards hard work, strengthens families, and helps North Carolinians keep more of what they earn.

Here’s a look at what I’ve been working on.

Standing with Gold Star Families

Last week, I joined the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, TAPS, on Capitol Hill to highlight the Love Lives On Act.

For more than 30 years, TAPS has supported the families of our fallen servicemembers in the hardest moments of their lives. Their work is extraordinary, and it was an honor to stand beside them and the families they serve.

Right now, federal law forces many surviving spouses into an impossible and unfair choice. If they remarry before age 55, they lose key survivor benefits earned through their loved one’s service. That means a young widow or widower may feel forced to choose between rebuilding a life and protecting financial stability for their children.

The Love Lives On Act fixes this by allowing surviving spouses to remarry at any age without losing their benefits. The bill also restores benefits if a later marriage ends, so families remain protected.

More than 50 veterans and military service organizations support this legislation, and nearly 30,000 surviving spouses stand to benefit. I am proud to lead this effort in the House with colleagues from both parties because honoring the sacrifice of military families should never be partisan.

Supporting America’s Special Operations Forces

As co-chair of the bipartisan Special Operations Forces Caucus, I also had the opportunity to host leaders from across the Special Operations community.

As Fort Bragg’s Congressman, it’s the honor of my life to represent the home of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and Joint Special Operations Command.

During the event, we heard from Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, and Assistant Secretary of Defense Derrick Anderson, who provided important updates on the challenges facing our Special Operations community.

These men and women carry out some of the most complex missions in the world, often quietly and without recognition. Congress has a responsibility to make sure they have the resources, facilities, and support they need to succeed.

That also means protecting their safety here at home. I recently introduced the Special Operator Protection Act, which creates criminal penalties for those who attempt to dox members of the Special Operations community and expose their families to danger. Our operators should never have to worry about the safety of their loved ones while they are protecting our nation.

Advancing Commonsense Solutions in Committee

I also joined my colleagues on the Energy & Commerce Committee to advance legislation to strengthen the security and resilience of America’s energy infrastructure.

Protecting our critical infrastructure is not a partisan issue. It is a national security priority.

After the 2022 Moore County substation attack left more than 45,000 residents without power during a winter cold spell, we saw firsthand how vulnerable parts of our electric grid can be. So I got to work visiting the site, hosting briefings on finding the offenders, bringing my colleagues to Moore County for hearings, and working on legislation to ensure it doesn't happen again. Communities like Moore County and Fort Bragg deserve the confidence that their power will remain reliable and secure.

The legislation we moved focuses on strengthening cybersecurity protections for utilities, improving coordination between government and private-sector energy providers, and enhancing our ability to identify emerging threats to the grid.

Tax Season and President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts

Finally, as families begin filing their taxes, we will see how all of you will get some real financial relief.

These reforms represent the largest tax cut for middle- and working-class Americans in history. They reward hard work and help families keep more of their paychecks.

Here are just a few of the benefits:

• No taxes on tips, allowing workers to keep more of what they earn.

• No taxes on overtime pay, putting more money back in workers’ pockets.

• An increased Child Tax Credit, helping more than 40 million families.

• Made-in-America auto tax breaks for vehicles built in the United States.

• Lower taxes across every county in America, with the average taxpayer seeing nearly $4,000 in relief.

• 15% average tax cut for Americans earning $15,000–$80,000.

• Permanent small business tax relief, helping local businesses grow and hire workers.

• Stronger protections for family farms, raising the estate tax exemption to help farms stay in the family.

These policies are designed to reward work, strengthen families, and unleash American economic growth.

Every single Democrat in Congress voted against this relief, but House Republicans and President Trump delivered on our promise to put working families first.

I’d love to hear from you about how these changes are improving your everyday life, so please write in on my website to tell me your tax season story.

Until next time,
Richard Hudson

Member of Congress