It has been just over a year since the American people elected Republicans to the White House and a majority of seats in the U.S. Congress. At the time, I wrote that the country had voted for change. Voters were dissatisfied with high rates of inflation, crime, and illegal immigration under the previous administration. They had watched as America’s foreign enemies grew more aggressive, and many were alarmed by President Biden’s weak reaction to those threats. Republicans had a chance to reverse course.

A year later, I look back with gratitude at the progress we have made. Prices are coming down. Rates of violent crime continue falling. President Biden’s border crisis is over. Congress has made timely investments in national defense. Most of all, I remain deeply grateful to represent my state in Congress and to help our nation recognize Mississippi’s many talents.

Tax Cuts Extended

When we began work in January, we moved quickly to extend and improve the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a 2017 law that was set to expire at the end of 2025. Republicans drafted the bill in the first half of the year, and President Trump signed it into law on Independence Day.

If we had not successfully preserved these cuts, then taxes would have snapped back to their pre-2017 levels—a hike of $1,570 for the average Mississippi family. Republican action prevented that scenario and set the economy up for even more growth. We retained the $2,000 child tax credit and increased the standard deduction for families, joint filers, and individuals. We locked in income tax rates and made permanent several tax incentives that will increase commercial investment. I fought to allow small businesses to keep deducting 20 percent of their qualified business income and to expense equipment purchases, as well as research and development costs.

The tax cuts got the most headlines, but our bill also supported America’s farmers and energy producers. Republicans streamlined the permitting process for new developments, and we lowered royalty fees companies had been paying to extract energy on federal lands. I negotiated a provision that increases funding for domestic critical minerals mining. Farmers benefited from the law’s price stability measures, such as expanded crop insurance and increased reference prices.

National Defense Strengthened

We have also been hard at work at another urgent priority: maintaining America’s military edge in an increasingly dangerous world. This year, I began serving as the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee—the first Mississippian to take that gavel since John C. Stennis ended his tenure in 1981. In that role, I have been shaping the legislation that will equip American service members for challenges from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

This year, I secured funding for shipbuilding, aircraft production, nuclear weapons development, and to replenish our munitions stockpiles. I also won investments in unmanned weapons systems, cyber security initiatives, and artificial intelligence tools.

As always, Mississippi will play a central role in this defense production. Our famous shipyards will continue producing world class vessels, but there is much, much more around our state. Innovative startups are relocating to the Magnolia State, and Congress’ legislation recognizes their contributions. At these firms, Mississippians build the tools our military needs for 21st century warfare, including munitions, lasers, radar, unmanned systems, cyber tools, and submarine components made with advanced manufacturing technology.

President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, and I have been working together to rebuild the military’s strength, but we cannot accomplish that mission on the cheap. As we invest more, we are investing wisely. In this year’s national defense bill, I am including the most significant improvements to the military’s business practices in decades. Those reforms combine two conservative principles: a strong American military and a fiscally responsible Pentagon. I look forward to building on these and other achievements in 2026 as we continue working toward the peace and prosperity that voters expect.