Sec. Janet Yellen And Gov. Josh Shapiro Announce Major Tax Filing Change For Pennsylvania

3 months ago

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) announced the availability of Direct File for Pennsylvanian's taxes.

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00I'm very glad to be in Philadelphia today with Governor Schapiro, Congressman Boyle,

00:07and Congresswoman Scanlon.

00:09We're here to make the exciting announcement that Pennsylvania will offer direct file to

00:16its residents starting next filing season.

00:20The U.S. economy today is strong.

00:23Unemployment is near historic lows, and inflation has significantly declined.

00:29But many Americans are concerned with the high cost of living.

00:34They're struggling to make ends meet.

00:37So bringing down costs for American families is the Biden-Harris administration's top economic

00:44priority.

00:46And this means doing everything we can to address the costs of health care, housing,

00:52and energy, and tackling challenges that have been building for decades.

00:57It also means making it simpler and cheaper for Americans to pay their taxes and get back

01:05what they're owed.

01:07It should be easy to meet your tax obligations and claim the credits, deductions, and refunds

01:15for which you're eligible.

01:17Instead, the Internal Revenue Service has been underfunded.

01:23That means the taxpayers have not gotten the support they deserve.

01:29Taxpayers across the country have had to pay for-profit companies hundreds of dollars a

01:34year to file their taxes.

01:37And too many eligible taxpayers have missed out on tax credits that would give them crucial

01:44breathing room in their household budgets.

01:48The Inflation Reduction Act has enabled us to change this.

01:53In the less than two years since it was passed, we've driven significant transformation at

01:59the Internal Revenue Service to drastically improve the taxpayer experience.

02:06We massively improved customer service, including through modernizing our call centers, dramatically

02:14reducing call wait times from 28 minutes to around just three minutes, and adding a new

02:22callback option that saved taxpayers an estimated 1.4 million hours of waiting on hold.

02:32We've also been able to expand operations at taxpayer assistance centers, serving almost

02:39500,000 more taxpayers last year than in the prior year.

02:45We redesigned more than 100 notices, made them available online, so it's easy for taxpayers

02:52to understand what actions they need to take.

02:57And we enhanced popular tools, such as Where's My Refund?, enabling taxpayers to better anticipate

03:05their refunds and plan their budgets.

03:10We also piloted the program we're focused on today.

03:14Direct File allows eligible taxpayers to file their taxes online for free directly

03:22with the IRS.

03:24It saves taxpayers money up front.

03:27They do not have to pay to prepare or file their returns.

03:32And it saves them money on the back end by helping them get their refunds and claim the

03:37tax credits they deserve.

03:40It makes the whole process easier and more efficient.

03:44I'm proud that the Direct File pilot this past filing season was a significant success.

03:54To make sure the pilot went smoothly, we focused on taxpayers in 12 states and with simple

04:01returns.

04:03Over just five weeks, interest grew as we got the word out, and taxpayers started using

04:09the product.

04:10By the final week, Direct File was processing more than 5,000 accepted returns each day.

04:17And by the end of the filing season, more than 140,000 taxpayers across all 12 of the

04:25pilot states filed through Direct File, far exceeding the 100,000 goal we had set.

04:33And these taxpayers saved $5.6 million in federal filing fees and received $90 million

04:41in refunds.

04:43Taxpayers also liked the product, and they found it easy to use.

04:47Ninety percent of survey respondents rated their experience with Direct File as excellent

04:53or above average.

04:55They appreciated that it saved them time filing, allowed them to quickly fix mistakes, provided

05:03customer support, and that there were no fees or upsells.

05:09And using Direct File increased public trust in the Internal Revenue Service.

05:14This success fueled demand for Direct File from taxpayers across the country.

05:21We heard from over 200 organizations representing communities throughout the United States,

05:27and we also heard from more than 100 members of Congress.

05:32So in June, IRS Commissioner Werfel and I announced we were making Direct File a permanent

05:39offering, and we invited all 50 states to participate, starting as soon as next filing

05:46season.

05:48Today, and thanks to Governor Shapiro, Pennsylvania joins the growing list of states that have

05:55committed to join Direct File, with plans to bring Direct File to more than 1.5 million

06:03Pennsylvania residents starting next January.

06:09Taxpayers deserve to see how our tax system should work.

06:14And thanks to the IRA, we're finally able to make that happen.

06:19I want to also thank Congressman Boyle and Congresswoman Scanlon for their support of

06:25the investments we're making in the IRS.

06:29And let me congratulate Governor Shapiro on this additional step forward.

06:35I look forward to working with state and local leadership across the country to advance the

06:41Biden-Harris administration's agenda to lower costs for American families.

06:49Well, good morning, everybody.

06:57And let me begin by saying it is such an honor and a thrill to have Secretary Yellen here

07:03in Philadelphia in the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection, one of the greatest

07:09fiscal minds and finest public servants of our generation.

07:13The fact that she has chosen Philadelphia for this important announcement and to highlight

07:17the great work at the U.S. Department of Treasury means a great deal to us.

07:21And I believe I can speak on behalf of my good friends and two very fine public servants

07:25in and of themselves, Congressman Boyle and Congresswoman Scanlon.

07:29We are thankful that you are here with us today to highlight this awesome new tool from

07:35your department.

07:37And I want to say a special thanks to your team for working with us on not just this,

07:41but so many other things that have helped repair and rebuild the infrastructure across

07:46this commonwealth and really give people a shot here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

07:51I've said this many times, I'll say it again.

07:54We believe the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should be a place where everyone has the freedom

07:57to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.

08:01And thanks to the Biden-Harris administration and the contributions of Secretary Yellen,

08:06we are well on our way to ensuring that in rural, urban and suburban communities across

08:10this great commonwealth.

08:12You've also heard me say many times that we live by three letters in our administration,

08:17GSD.

08:18And out of respect for the fine secretary, I'll simply say that stands for get stuff

08:22done.

08:23We focus on getting stuff done every day for the good people of Pennsylvania, making sure

08:28the government can be a positive force for good in their lives and making sure that there

08:33is no wrong door to entry when you need support and service from your government.

08:41We're mindful that in getting support and service from your government, it is on us

08:46to make sure we speed up government as well, that we make it work at the speed of business,

08:50that we make folks be able to access their government, not just during nine to five hours,

08:57but when it works for them, when it works in their family structure, when it works in

09:01their daily and busy lives.

09:04That is why one of the first executive orders that I signed as governor was to speed up

09:09our permitting process.

09:11I share that with you because it's directly on point to how we want to make government

09:15more accessible to all Pennsylvanians.

09:18You know, your lives are touched by some engagement or involvement with state government every

09:23day, whether you realize it or not.

09:24A small business owner that wants to open up a barbershop or a large corporation that

09:29dots our center city skyline, they both have to apply for a business license in order to

09:34operate here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

09:37Today I was sworn into office.

09:38It took eight weeks to get that simple business license in the Commonwealth.

09:43Thanks to my executive order and my team's hard work, today that same business license

09:47takes just two days to get here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

09:52Permits touch the lives of all Pennsylvanians.

09:54We know we have a teacher shortage in our public schools all across this Commonwealth,

09:59something we've been working very hard to fix.

10:02The dad took office.

10:03It took 12 weeks to get a public school educator certified.

10:07Today it is down to just one week.

10:09I share those two examples with you because they're examples of how we have tried to make

10:14government work more quickly and work more effectively and efficiently for the good people

10:19of Pennsylvania.

10:21Exactly what the secretary is here to announce today when it comes to taxpayers.

10:25We have also put in place a system where if we don't meet the marks that we set for our

10:31constituents, if we don't meet the marks we set for our fellow Pennsylvanians, we will

10:36give you your money back for your permit, your license, or your application fee.

10:41So if we tell you it's going to take a certain amount of time and we don't hit that mark,

10:45we'll give you your application fee back, putting our money where our mouth is.

10:50And as we do all this work to speed up government, we want to make sure, as I said, there is

10:54no wrong door and there is ease of access when it comes to all Pennsylvanians being

10:59able to do the work that they need to do.

11:02That's why we built in-house Code PA, our very own tech startup, to work on making our

11:08forms more accessible, to making our products more in line with how everyday Pennsylvanians

11:15operate.

11:17We actually have a saying at Code PA.

11:19Their goal is to make forms that suck less.

11:23And I realize that may not be the kindest or gentlest way to talk, but the truth is

11:28anyone who's interacted with government before it knows, it can be a frustrating process.

11:33One of the first products they worked on was allowing people to file their state taxes

11:39through our MyPath system in a way that was much easier for people, so they didn't have

11:44to use third-party softwares or didn't have to consult an accountant.

11:49Nothing against accountants, of course.

11:51Well, the work we've done through Code PA and our portal through our commonwealth, now,

11:58thankfully, is in a position to complement the incredible work that the Secretary has

12:02put forth, thanks to the investments that our congresspeople, along with Senator Casey

12:07and Fetterman, have put in place.

12:09And that is to allow people not just to file their taxes simply online for the Commonwealth

12:14of Pennsylvania, but for the federal government as well.

12:17This is a game-changer.

12:18This is going to allow people ease of access to their government, showing that there is

12:23no wrong door, saving them hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on software and other

12:29services that maybe they really didn't need in the first place, and it is going to allow

12:33them to be far more efficient in their lives.

12:36Not just being able to pay their taxes more efficiently, but then reclaim that time, so

12:41they can have more time with their kids, more time at work, more time just enjoying themselves

12:46here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

12:48This free online system, I am here to tell you, will be in effect for all Pennsylvanians

12:54for the next filing season.

12:57We are committed to that work.

12:58We are ready for that to go online.

13:01And we couldn't be more grateful to Secretary Yellen and her team for their willingness

13:05to pilot this and now to make it available to all 50 states.

13:10And so I just want to close by, again, thanking the Secretary, thanking the Biden-Harris administration

13:15for their investments here in the Commonwealth.

13:18Thank them for joining us and understanding that there should be no wrong door to entry

13:22for people to be able to access services from their government.

13:26And understanding the important, powerful role government can play in people's lives

13:31to streamline things, to make things easier, to make things quicker, and to make things

13:35more efficient.

13:37That's the way we do our work every day here in the Commonwealth.

13:40That's the way the Biden administration, the Harris administration has operated, and certainly

13:44the way the Secretary has.

13:46And I'm grateful, Madam Secretary, for you being here today and for your leadership.

13:50Thank you all very, very much.

13:52Well, to echo what the Governor said, Madam Secretary, welcome.

14:00I am honored that you are here in my congressional district, literally just two blocks above

14:07one of my – up the street from one of my constituent service offices, to make this

14:12incredibly exciting announcement.

14:15I also want to thank our Governor for participating and taking the lead to make sure all Pennsylvanians

14:22will be able to take full advantage of this new direct file program.

14:28As my colleague, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, knows full well, when we fought so hard for

14:35the Inflation Reduction Act two years ago, tucked into that truly monumental, transformative

14:42piece of legislation was IRS direct file.

14:46A number of us from the Ways and Means Committee, on which I serve, had pushed for years and

14:52years to give the IRS more resources.

14:57Secretary Yellen cited the 28-minute average wait time just a few years ago.

15:03I can tell you, from our constituent service office just a couple blocks away, for years

15:09and years, the number one constituent complaint was about the IRS.

15:15So the improvements that have been made through the Inflation Reduction Act, and that you

15:19both are carrying out at the federal and state level, respectively, truly transformative

15:25in the lives of ordinary Philadelphians and ordinary Pennsylvanians.

15:30And indeed, of course, ordinary Americans.

15:33I also cite the fact that, unfortunately, there are those where Mary Gay and I work

15:40who are attempting to take away these resources from the IRS.

15:46When we talk about the additional resources that we devoted to the IRS, it's to do things

15:52like this.

15:53It's to put the service back in Internal Revenue Service.

15:58Well, if those efforts succeed, and in the future, perhaps near future, money is stripped

16:04away from the IRS, it's things like direct file that are a threat.

16:10Now, I can tell you, in addition to my service on the Ways and Means Committee, I'm the ranking

16:14member, I hope soon chairman, of the Budget Committee.

16:18One of the top priorities for our committee, if I am to be chair and we are to be in the

16:24majority, will be protecting programs like direct file, making sure that all 50 states

16:31and all 333 million Americans are able to fully participate.

16:37Because Josh said it exactly right.

16:41It's in the end of the day, what we're about is attempting to make government more accessible

16:48and more reachable for everyday Americans.

16:52So I'm honored, again, that you've chosen Philadelphia.

16:55I hope you and your large staff spend a lot of money while you're here.

16:59I have some restaurant recommendations, depending on how long you're staying.

17:04And with that, let me introduce my colleague, a very good friend of mine, Congresswoman

17:09Mary Gay Scanlon.

17:15Thank you, everyone.

17:16It is so great to be here with Secretary Yellen and Governor Shapiro to announce that Pennsylvanians

17:21will have access to the IRS's free direct file tax filing tool this coming tax season.

17:29Filing your taxes should be quick, easy, and free.

17:33It is in most other countries.

17:35There's no reason to pay hundreds of dollars for a tax preparation company to file a simple

17:41return.

17:43So when you go to file your taxes next year, you're going to be able to use the IRS's direct

17:47filing tool.

17:48It'll give a free, simplified form to file taxes and speed up any refunds or credits

17:55that our taxpayers are owed.

17:58Direct file can take the headaches and the cost out of filing taxes.

18:02In states where this program has been piloted this past year, it was wildly successful,

18:08with 90 percent of the people who used it rating their experience as excellent or above

18:13average.

18:14There are 140,000 taxpayers who've already had the opportunity to use that direct file

18:19system, claiming over $90 million in refunds and saving about $5.6 million in filing fees.

18:26And all of this is possible because of the legislation that Congress passed and the Biden-Harris

18:31administration put into effect, giving the IRS the funding and the authorities to provide

18:37taxpayers with direct file.

18:39It was a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act.

18:42It included a big funding boost so the IRS could do a couple things.

18:47One was to improve customer service, reducing delays in returning refunds, and also to make

18:53sure that millionaires and billionaires who have avoided paying taxes would pay their

18:59fair share.

19:00So two big things going on here, with Secretary Yellen's help, making sure millionaires and

19:06billionaires pay their fair share and making sure that everyday Americans, everyday Pennsylvanians,

19:12can file their taxes quickly and easily and get their refunds quickly and easily.

19:17So I was proud to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act.

19:20I'm happy to see Pennsylvania benefiting from this legislation, very grateful to Governor

19:25Shapiro for making sure that the Pennsylvania tax system is going to be part of it, and

19:29we look forward to seeing the rollout.

19:40We'd be glad to take some questions.

19:43First question is Lauren Make from NBC.

19:46I'm right here.

19:51Thank you so much.

19:52Welcome to Philadelphia.

19:53Madam Secretary, there are elements of the tax bill that was passed during the Trump

19:58administration that are set to expire.

20:01What are you preparing for at the Treasury Department and what should Americans, taxpayers,

20:06be prepared for?

20:08Well, President Biden has set out a set of principles that will guide his or his successors'

20:18negotiations over the expiring provisions, which are mainly in the individual tax code.

20:28And one principle is he wants to make sure that every household making less than $400,000

20:37will not see an increase in their tax bills.

20:42He wants to protect hardworking Americans and would like to see the child tax credit

20:49enhanced.

20:51But he feels very strongly in tax fairness and that wealthy individuals should pay their

20:59fair share.

21:01And he would not be willing to see extended the provisions that benefit those very high

21:11income households.

21:14In addition to that, he's proposed changes on the corporate side to raise the corporate

21:23income tax somewhat not back to its pre-TCJA level, but to make it somewhat higher to

21:31close international tax loopholes and to put in place other reforms that would ensure that

21:40corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share.

21:45Alan Rappaport, New York Times.

21:50Thanks very much.

21:52One on the Pennsylvania economy for both Governor Shapiro and Secretary Yellen.

21:56Related to U.S. steel, President Biden said earlier this year that he wants U.S. steel

22:01to remain American-owned and operated.

22:04Do you agree with that?

22:06And would you like to see the Biden administration or a future Harris administration block the

22:10Nippon steel acquisition?

22:12And for Secretary Yellen, where does that review stand?

22:15Well, let me say for my part, since I chair the CFIUS process that in principle would

22:23review such a transaction, I regret I'm not able to get into the specifics of any transaction.

22:32We will look at it from a national security, as we would look at any transaction from a

22:39national security perspective and try to make a reasoned judgment.

22:44But I'm not able to talk about the specifics.

22:49I'm incredibly proud of the role that the Commonwealth has played in strengthening our

22:58society, bringing democracy around the world, and fueling growth and really the construction

23:06of the modern-day American labor movement, thanks to our strong manufacturing base here

23:11in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

23:14One of the key components of that strong manufacturing base, of course, is steel.

23:20And so much of that work has been done by U.S. steel over so many generations.

23:25I have made very, very clear that the success of U.S. steel is due to the incredible women

23:31and men of the U.S. Steel Workers Union who have done this back-breaking work over many

23:36generations, oftentimes same families through multiple generations doing that work.

23:42And so I review any potential deal through the prism of how does it impact Pennsylvania

23:47workers, number one, and what does it mean for the future of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

23:51to be able to continue its primary post as a manufacturing leader here in this country.

23:58And on both of those questions, I have serious concerns about the deal that has been put

24:03forth.

24:04I don't want any of my comments to in any way be seen as undermining the important process

24:09that is now going on at the federal level.

24:11But speaking from a state perspective as governor, if the U.S. steel workers aren't happy with

24:16this deal, which they are not, I'm not happy with this deal.

24:20If I don't see a future where U.S. steel manufacturing continues here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

24:26and is expanded from what is happening right now, I'm not happy.

24:31So I've got really serious concerns.

24:33Obviously, the federal government will make the ultimate decision here, but what's been

24:37put forth on the table is not something that would enjoy my approval, and I'm going to

24:42continue to stand directly side by side and locked arms with U.S. steel workers, the very

24:47people who have built this Commonwealth and this country.

24:50They deserve real respect, and what is contained in this deal at this point is not respectful

24:55to them and to their members.

24:58Aaliyah Schrader, Affiliate Inquirer.

25:12Could you talk about the eligibility for Pennsylvanians to use direct file?

25:17All Pennsylvanians will be eligible.

25:19It will be ready and online for the next tax filing season.

25:23We have members of the Department of Revenue staff who are here who can walk you through

25:27the specifics of how to access it online, but we're ready to rock and roll.

25:32Thanks to the work of Code PA, the collaboration with the Department of Treasury, we're ready

25:37to go, and the Commonwealth will be better off thanks to Secretary Yellen's vision in

25:42this space.

25:45Rich Rubin, Wall Street Journal.

25:50For the governor, the one piece of that expiring tax law next year is the $10,000 cap on state

25:55and local tax deductions.

25:57What's been the impact of that cap here in Pennsylvania, and what should Congress do

26:00with it when it's set to expire?

26:02Well, the members of Congress can speak to what they plan to do on it, and obviously

26:07the president has been very vocal on these issues.

26:10I can tell you that we fight to make sure we reduce costs, especially for middle-class

26:14families here in the Commonwealth.

26:16As governor, I've cut taxes multiple times.

26:19We delivered the largest targeted tax cut for seniors in nearly 20 years.

26:24We delivered the largest child care tax cut for families with children in child care ever

26:30in the history of our Commonwealth.

26:31We've cut business taxes twice in Pennsylvania, and I've sought to cut other taxes, which

26:37we haven't been able to get through.

26:38Shockingly, I'm the only governor in the entire country with a divided legislature.

26:42Shockingly, I'm for more tax cuts than some of the Republicans who lead the Senate.

26:46You can go ask them why, but I want to see us put more money back in the pockets of Pennsylvanians.

26:52We've successfully done that here at the state level.

26:55Obviously members of Congress will have a lot to grapple with when they come back into

26:59session next year under what I hope will be Democratic majorities in the House and the

27:04Harris administration working to put more money back in the pockets of all Pennsylvanians,

27:10particularly middle-class Pennsylvanians.

27:13Dave Lauder, Reuters.

27:20I have a tax question for both the Secretary and for the Governor.

27:24Secretary Yellen, would you anticipate in the very detailed tax plan that President

27:34Biden has proposed in his budgets, would you anticipate that there would be any changes

27:40likely taken on by Vice President Harris should she be elected in that plan?

27:46And then for Governor Shapiro, you've cut business taxes considerably in this state.

27:53Can you square that with the plan that the President has laid out, which would considerably

27:59raise corporate taxes?

28:02Is that kind of at cross-purposes?

28:06So on the first part, I would just say that Vice President Harris has indicated her support

28:17for avoiding tax increases for middle-income families.

28:24So I believe that's a principle that she would adhere to.

28:30And beyond that, while she's played an important role in determining our economic policy and

28:41general approach to tax fairness over the last three and a half years, I wouldn't want

28:48to speak about details with respect to how she might approach the upcoming negotiation.

29:01I think those who know me know I am competitive as hell, and I want Pennsylvania to win every

29:06single time.

29:07And for us to win when it comes to economic development, when it comes to job creation,

29:12I knew when I got sworn in as Governor about a year and a half ago that we needed to do

29:16much better.

29:17I spoke about one aspect of doing better earlier in my remarks, and that is speeding up business,

29:23getting permits and licenses done more quickly.

29:26And I just signed into law even further advancing our efforts on permitting reform to speed

29:32up that process.

29:33I knew we needed an economic development strategy that focused on some of the core sectors of

29:38our economy where I saw opportunities for significant growth.

29:43I knew that we needed to put real resources into economic development, and one example

29:48of that is a new fund I was able to get done on a bipartisan basis to put a half a billion

29:53dollars into site development all across Pennsylvania.

29:58Understand that we have made these investments at a time where, as I said before, I'm the

30:02only governor in the whole country with a divided legislature.

30:05We've been able to bring Democrats and Republicans together to get meaningful things done when

30:09it comes to economic development.

30:11We also understood that we needed to have a more advantageous tax environment for our

30:15businesses, and it was one component of an overall strategy in order to grow jobs and

30:22create more economic opportunity in Pennsylvania.

30:25That's why I've been so aggressively working to cut business taxes and make sure that we

30:29have an environment here that works for business owners, where they not only want to expand

30:33operations if they're already here, but where I can entice businesses from other states

30:38to come and locate here in Pennsylvania.

30:40I think having that multi-pronged strategy, which does include tax cuts for businesses,

30:46has helped us become far more competitive than we were a year and a half ago.

30:50The proof is in the pudding in terms of the more than $2 billion in private capital that

30:55we've seen invested as a result of our direct engagement and the jobs that we've been able

31:00to create on my watch with new businesses coming here.

31:03So it all fits together.

31:05Tax cuts, speeding up businesses, having a strategy, and having real resources to invest

31:10in the effort to create jobs and economic opportunity.

31:14And last question.

31:15Victoria Dedrino from Bloomberg.

31:19Just beyond tax policy, I had a question on economic policy for both of you.

31:23Secretary Yellen, for the past three and a half years, you've worked in the Biden-Harris

31:25administration.

31:26I was just wondering, based on that experience, what you would expect the economic priorities

31:31of a Harris administration to look like, and in terms of what you think, whether there's

31:36any unfinished business or some kind of area where you would like to see progress kind

31:40of from the get-go.

31:41And Governor Shapiro, if I could ask for your view more broadly on the Biden-Harris economic

31:46record, and if you think Vice President Harris should fully embrace Bidenomics, or if there's

31:51any shift you think is warranted in any area.

31:54Well, what I can say is that I've worked closely on a number of different policy initiatives

32:03with Vice President Harris over the last three and a half years.

32:09We've worked to increase the flow of resources, of lending possibilities in low-income neighborhoods,

32:18on bolstering small businesses and their opportunities.

32:25I know that she's focused on middle-income families and making sure that they thrive.

32:34She's been supportive of things like paid leave that were elements of the Biden-Harris

32:47administration program at the outset that haven't been passed into law.

32:53The child tax credit, trying to make sure that childcare is more affordable.

33:00But I wouldn't want to try to specify more than that about what her priorities will be,

33:08but these are certainly things she's focused on and been committed to over the last three

33:14and a half years.

33:18The Biden-Harris policies and work has had a profoundly positive impact on the economy

33:26of Pennsylvania and the people of Pennsylvania.

33:29And I want to share some specifics, but I would be remiss if I didn't thank Congressman

33:34Boyle and Congresswoman Scanlon, because none of those investments would be possible but

33:39for their affirmative votes and hard work behind the scenes to not only get those bills

33:45passed, but to make sure that Pennsylvania gets more than its fair share in the process.

33:51Let's examine the record.

33:52We've got 276,000 homes and businesses without high-speed internet in Pennsylvania.

33:58Some in urban areas like this, but primarily in rural communities across Pennsylvania.

34:04Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, we will now over the course of the next five

34:07years connect every one of those 276,000 homes and businesses to high-speed internet.

34:13That means greater access to learning for kids, greater opportunities for small business

34:17startups, greater access to healthcare, especially in rural communities where it's hard to access

34:22specialists for particular care.

34:25That's a game changer.

34:26There's a small town in western Pennsylvania called Esplin.

34:29It's out in Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is.

34:32It's a predominantly minority community, a small borough.

34:37And for years, when moms would turn on the tap and give their kid a glass of water, there

34:41was lead in those drinking water lines that they had to deal with, that they either had

34:47to serve to their kids or they had to have special filtration systems in order to be

34:51able to make sure it was safe.

34:54Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, those water lines are literally being ripped

34:58up out of the ground and replaced with water lines where moms and dads don't have to worry

35:03about their kids' health and safety anymore.

35:06We've got serious infrastructure projects that are going to help improve lives all across

35:11Pennsylvania from the capping project in Chinatown, which I believe is in your district, Congressman,

35:16to I was seeing with Secretary Buttigieg just last week, the I-83 South Bridge in Harrisburg

35:21where 200,000 cars and trucks go over every single day, not to mention one of the most

35:27serious infrastructure disasters in our nation's history.

35:31When I-95 collapsed just about a year ago, it was the Biden-Harris administration who

35:37were my partners in that effort to get that road reopened in just 12 days.

35:42The investments in these infrastructure projects are having a positive impact on people's lives

35:49every single day, whether it's reducing commute times, whether it's helping businesses be

35:54able to get their product to and from market more quickly, whether it's people being able

35:58to live a healthier, safer life.

36:01This is really impactful, and this is stuff that's happening right now.

36:05Now think about the future, thanks to a Biden-Harris administration, what it means for the Commonwealth

36:09of Pennsylvania.

36:11Our Commonwealth is home to two regional hydrogen hubs.

36:17We are the only state in the entire nation to have earned two regional hydrogen hubs

36:21from the Biden-Harris administration, thanks to Secretary Granholm and others.

36:26We are poised to be the clean energy capital not just of the United States but of the world

36:31and put a whole lot of people to work, from our universities to our great building trades.

36:37People are going to be working in this space to create an even better clean energy economy.

36:43I've said this to the President privately, and I'm not one to get into our private conversations.

36:47I don't think the President would mind me sharing this with him or with all of you.

36:53He has been in public service for over 50 years, including a whole lot of years where

36:59he served as our third U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.

37:02I bet you didn't know we had three senators for a while here.

37:05The impact of his service is going to be felt a lot longer than the 50 years that he

37:12served.

37:14When you think about people's kids and grandkids today who are going to be working on these

37:19projects that President Biden and Vice President Harris put in place, that is going to strengthen

37:24our economy for generations to come.

37:27It's going to help put food on the table for middle-class families for generations to come.

37:32And it's going to make Pennsylvania and this country far more competitive for generations

37:36to come, thanks to President Biden's service.

37:39We're indebted to he and Vice President Harris for the investments that they've made here.

37:43They matter.

37:44They make a difference.

37:45And we're going to continue to do everything in our power to take the support of the federal

37:49government, as we are doing here today on this particular tax filing issue, and so much

37:54more, and utilize that to benefit the good people of this commonwealth and this country.

37:59Thank you all very, very much.

38:01Well done.

38:02Thank you again, Ambassador.

Sec. Janet Yellen And Gov. Josh Shapiro Announce Major Tax Filing Change For Pennsylvania

Category

Transcript

Recommended