WASHINGTON (January 20, 2026) – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today released a video recapping his recent visit with U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to Phil’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant in Baton Rouge, where the two met with workers and restaurant patrons to discuss the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts bill.
“Waiters and waitresses and people bussing—they’re going to have more money in their pocket because of this,” said Dr. Cassidy. “That’s helping their bottom line when they go home.”
“We talked about no tax on tips, and it’s a significant amount of money,” said Leader Thune. “If you’re a small business owner, we made permanent some tax policy that is going to make it easier for them to keep more of what they earn.”
Cassidy and Leader Thune sat down with one of the managers and bartenders at Phil’s Oyster Bar to learn how they’re directly benefitting from “No Taxes on Tips.” They also met Anthony Piazza, the owner of the restaurant, who thanked them for their work.
“It was my honor to host Senator Cassidy and Majority Leader Thune at Phil’s Oyster Bar, and I’m grateful that they’re focusing on helping people here in Louisiana,” said Mr. Piazza. “Thanks to their work, my employees will be able to keep more of their money to care for their families. This is great for them, for this business, and for our entire community.”
Background
The Working Families Tax Cuts bill allows workers who earn under $150,000 to deduct $25,000 worth of tips from their income tax statement, in most cases.
Additionally, the Working Families Tax Cuts bill keeps taxes low, cuts taxes on overtime and Social Security, extends the Child Tax Credit, fixes our broken education system, supports our military, secures the border, and builds a business environment that creates better paying jobs.
