Maine is a high-tax state already; we face one of the highest overall state and local tax burdens in the country, at roughly 11–12% of income, putting us in the top tier nationally – we cannot afford additional Federal taxes on top of all that.
Maine’s 1st Congressional District median household income is in the mid‑$80,000s, with many families well below that. Our economy is small‑business and wage‑earner driven, and we rely heavily on small employers, service jobs, and seasonal work, so federal tax complexity discourages hiring and investment.
We need to protect the temporary tax relief gains made by passage of the Big Beautiful Bill and make them permanent. We must back extra inflation adjustments for lower and middle brackets so cost‑of‑living increases don’t quietly push Mainers into higher federal tax brackets. And we need to support larger, work‑linked credits for low‑ and moderate‑income workers (like a strengthened Earned Income Tax Credit) instead of growing welfare programs, so work always pays.