By Gabe Evans | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
When our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, they envisioned a nation that could stand the test of time. A United States of America that not only encouraged freedom and independent thought, but that structurally safeguarded it. They believed in a nation defined by liberty, opportunity, personal responsibility, and an enduring love of country.
Today, 250 years later, we are living the future they imagined.
Our nation is known globally as the land of opportunity, where the American Dream thrives and is achievable for anyone who has the resolve to pursue it. That sense of promise is deeply personal to my family and I, as it is what led my Abuelo Cuauhtemoc Chavez — who was born in Mexico — to volunteer for the U.S. Army during World War II. He was awarded citizenship to this country in return for his military service, forever shaping his future and the future of our family. Grandpa Evans also served, dedicating 20 years to the US Navy. He emphasized love of country and that in America, hard work pays off.
Our responsibility today is to preserve that same promise for the next generation of Americans.
That is why, exactly one year ago, Republicans voted for and signed into law the Working Families Tax Cut (WFTC). This historic legislation restored confidence that hard work is still rewarded in America. It strengthened the promise that families, farmers, small businesses, and the middle class should be able to keep more of what they earn and build a brighter future for themselves and their children.
From eliminating federal taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits for eligible Americans to delivering the largest tax cut in our nation’s history, the Working Families Tax Cut represented a generational investment in American workers, families, and economic growth.
In just 365 days, families of four have seen their annual take-home pay increase by an average of $13,000. Nearly 80 million hourly workers have benefited from tax relief worth up to $1,750 annually, with more than four million Americans working in tipped occupations have seen yearly pay increases of over $1,675.
Yet while millions across Americans celebrate bigger paychecks and greater financial security, many Coloradans have been denied the full benefit of those victories.
Just one month after Republicans in Congress passed the WFTC, Denver Democrats convened a special session to eliminate the benefits we fought so hard to deliver.
Governor Jared Polis signed legislation that reimposed state taxes on overtime, ensuring families either working extended hours or relying on gratuities to make ends meet would once again have their money stripped from their pockets to pour back into a mismanaged state government funding fraudulent programs and the Left’s personal pet projects.
The contrast could not be clearer.
While Republicans in Congress are working to lower costs, reward work, and help families get ahead, Denver Democrats have chosen higher taxes, bigger government, and fewer opportunities from hardworking Coloradans.
Colorado families deserve to experience the relief they have rightfully earned. They deserve leaders who believe success should be rewarded — not penalized. Most importantly, they deserve the opportunity to pursue the same American Dream our Founding Fathers envisioned and generations of Americans have worked to preserve.
As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, we should remember that America’s story has always been one of perseverance, self-government, and the belief that each generation has a responsibility to leave our country stronger than they found it. The decisions we make today will determine whether our children and grandchildren inherit a freer, more prosperous America than the one we inherited.
So today, I encourage everyone to recommit to the values of freedom, opportunity and personal responsibility that have defined our nation for two and a half centuries. As your representative in Congress, I will continue fighting to lower costs, reward hard work, defend our Constitution, and ensure that the American Dream remains within reach for every Colorado family — not only for this generation, but for the next 250 years.
Congressman Gabe Evans represents Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, which includes most of Adams County, Weld County north through Greeley, and part of Larimer County. Before Congress, he served 12 years in the U.S. Army and Colorado Army National Guard as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot and company commander, completing a combat deployment to the Middle East and responding to wildfires and search and rescues across Colorado. He joined the Arvada Police Department in 2011, where he served alongside Officer Dillon Vakoff and reached the rank of lieutenant before retiring in 2022 to run for the Colorado House. He was elected to Congress in 2024. Evans and his wife, Anne, raise their two sons on a family farm in southern Weld County.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.