Yesterday, during the 2025 Big “I" Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) delivered the event's keynote address to Big “I" members. Rep. Scalise spoke on tariffs, tax reform and the Trump administration's efforts to strengthen the American economy.

Rep. Scalise has represented Louisiana's 1st Congressional District, which includes much of the state's Southeastern region, since 2008. He was elected in 2022 to serve as House majority leader, the second highest position in Republican leadership. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served in the Louisiana legislature.

Rep. Scalise has been a frequent speaker at the Big “I" Legislative Conference, having addressed the group in 2015 and virtually in 2020. He is a strong advocate for the independent agency system and a leader on important issues like flood insurance and tax policy, working closely with the Big “I" and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Louisiana.

With Wednesday, April 30, marking President Donald Trump's 100th day in office and Republicans in control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Rep. Scalise has “been working very closely with President Trump on a number of initiatives focused on getting the economy back on track," he said.

While President Trump acknowledged the reciprocal tariffs are bringing short-term economic pain, “we're also starting to see a lot of countries want to renegotiate their tariff arrangements with the United States," Rep. Scalise said, estimating that within a matter of months, new agreements will be reached with trade partners to lower tariffs reciprocally and improve the U.S.'s competitive position in world trade.

And with much of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) set to expire at the end of 2025, Rep. Scalise emphasized the importance of renewing those tax provisions to ensure the U.S. regains its competitiveness.

Prior to the TCJA, “we had the highest corporate rate in the world," he said. “And if you remember back in 2017, we were losing great American companies every month." By bringing corporate tax rates from 35% down to 21%, “we came in below the world average, we ended up bringing millions of jobs back to America," he said. “We want to get back to that time. We want to get back to an economy that's thriving again."

If the TCJA tax rates are allowed to expire at the end of this year, “there would be a $4.5 trillion tax increase," Rep. Scalise warned.

The 20% small business pass-through deduction , known as 199A, is especially crucial to Big “I" members—86% of which are pass-through entities, according to the 2024 Agency Universe Survey. “We set up a provision in the tax code to equalize your business with a big business so that the big business isn't sitting at 21% and you're paying 40%," Rep. Scalise explained. “We corrected it with a tax provision that expires at the end of the year. We can't let that happen."

The House and Senate are working to retain current tax rates via the budget reconciliation bill with a goal to “get a bill on the president's desk by June, which means we would stabilize the tax code in the United States by June so that we can start seeing the economic benefit," Rep. Scalise said.

Rep. Scalise concluded his remarks by acknowledging the key advocacy role Big “I" members play as Congress considers key reforms. “It's incredibly helpful what the Big 'I' does; you touch every single district in America," Rep. Scalise said. “When y'all talk about something, like why we need to reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and get it reauthorized again, what you're doing in local communities on homeowners insurance, working at the state level, making sure we regulate it at the state level [and] not here in Washington—all of those things matter."

AnneMarie McPherson Spears is IA news editor.