Missouri Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, told delegates at the Republican National Convention that his panel's tax-writing efforts would target working families rather than the rich.

"When I was selected by my colleagues to chair the House Ways and Means Committee, I told them that we were done writing tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires," Smith said. "Our priority was going to the working class, men and women we represent."

Smith has repeatedly framed Republican tax policy around middle- and lower-income Americans since assuming the committee chairmanship in 2023. His public statements emphasize extending and expanding provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act while adding targeted relief such as no tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits.

In recent years, House Republicans advanced the Working Families Tax Cuts package, which included those measures. Treasury Department analysis cited by the committee showed that nearly 70 percent of beneficiaries earned less than $100,000 annually.

Smith has described the approach as keeping taxes low for factory workers, mechanics, farmers, and others who earn paychecks through daily labor. He has contrasted it with prior Democratic policies that he said favored higher earners or increased overall tax burdens through inflation.

The chairman's remarks align with broader Republican messaging that the party now serves as the vehicle for working-class economic interests. Committee actions have focused on preventing scheduled tax increases, restoring business expensing rules, and adjusting the child tax credit to benefit more families.

Smith, a seventh-generation Missourian representing the state's 8th District, has held the Ways and Means gavel through multiple Congresses. His tenure has included hearings across the country to gather input from workers and small businesses outside Washington.