Congressman Brett Guthrie hosts roundtable discussion in Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie invited seniors to a roundtable discussion at the Bob Kirby Library on Friday.

Guthrie wanted to highlight the tax advantages of Congress’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” the budget bill passed last year. That legislation is often described with such phrases as “no tax on Social Security,” no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime,” but the details are a bit more complicated.

Social Security recipients making less than $250,000 will get a $6,000 senior tax deduction or $12,000 for couples.

That means 80% of social security recipients will not pay taxes on that income. Workers who receive tips will not have to pay taxes on those, but businesses can’t just declare regular wages as tips.

Brett Guthrie, U.S. representative, Second District (R), says, “So it is targeted to people who are hairdressers, people who get tips, people that park cars, people who are what you typically think of tipped employees. That’s what is targeted towards. And no tax on overtime is. So if you work over 40 hours and you’re hourly, you get paid time and a half, there’ll be no tax on the half. So if you’re making $20 an hour and you work on Saturday and you make $30 an hour because you’re working overtime, there will be no tax on the $10 part of the 30.”

We also asked the congressman if the war with Iran was worth it after the monthly inflation rate spiked to .9%, a four-year high, with crude oil prices generally credited with driving prices higher.

Guthrie says, “I don’t like what’s going on. I wish that wasn’t the situation. But I’m glad that we’re stopping Iran from having a nuclear weapon. And I think keeping the Strait of Hormuz open has to be part of any settlement with Iran that they don’t have, use their geographic location to prevent ships from moving through there. I’m glad that we have American production back up and running again. At least we’re producing oil, not having oil shortages. I know it’s expensive and it hurts. And hopefully this will be very, very temporary.”

Guthrie did acknowledge that two of the 13 U.S. troops killed in the war with Iran have been from his Second District. On Saturday, the funeral for Sgt. Ashley Pruitt will take place in Bardstown.