GOP lawmaker rallies around Trump’s tax-cut campaign as competitive 2026 House race looms: ‘Big issue’

BETHLEHEM, PA – Freshman GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie flipped a congressional seat in the Lehigh Valley just six months ago, but with competitive midterm elections expected in 2026, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is already building its grassroots coalition in his swing district. 

It’s an off-election year for Mackenzie, who unseated longtime Democrat Rep. Susan Wild in November, but as the 42-year-old jogged through neighborhood blocks in Bethlehem and greeted constituents at their doors on Saturday afternoon, the newest Pennsylvania congressman still has 17 months before his first re-election challenge.

Mackenzie joined AFP activists in the Lehigh Valley on Saturday for a day of action, designed to educate constituents on his work to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and pass Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” as budget negotiations continue back on Capitol Hill. He said it was his first time door knocking since winning in November. 

“We have a tremendous opportunity as members of Congress to actually pass transformative legislation which will bring down taxes and the cost of living for not only individuals, but small businesses all across this country. For the past four years, we’ve seen that inflation has been out of control, driving up the prices of everything — food, fuel, housing, healthcare,” Mackenzie told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. 

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“It’s been very difficult for people to make ends meet. That was a big issue in the campaign, and now we have that opportunity to deliver, as members of Congress, with significant tax reform and tax relief,” Mackenzie added.

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Conservative holdouts stalled a procedural vote for reconciliation on Friday, prompting House leaders to return to the Hill late Sunday night to continue negotiations. Meanwhile, Trump is urging House Republicans to pass his “big, beautiful bill” following his high-profile diplomatic trip to the Middle East last week. 

“Ultimately, we do have to get a resolution that satisfies 218 members of Congress. We’re very close to doing that, and this is all part of the process. Nobody should be upset or concerned about any kind of little bumps in the road, because ultimately, we’re going to come together to do what’s right for the American people,” Mackenzie said. 

The conservative advocacy group teamed up with GOP Reps. David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Ashley Hinson of Iowa, Tom Barrett of Michigan and Mackenzie of Pennsylvania for door-knocking, phone banks and grassroots organizing in a show of support for Trump’s tax cuts this weekend — telling constituents how their representatives are working to alleviate financial burden for everyday Americans.

AFP shared with Fox News Digital that they reached over 90,000 voters on Saturday. 

“Americans for Prosperity Pennsylvania has been on the ground knocking doors, making calls, hosting events, and organizing demonstrations to educate and show the urgency for Congress to make provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent,” Emily Greene, Americans for Prosperity Pennsylvania State Director, told Fox News Digital. 

“We’re talking with taxpayers and business owners every day who understand that Congress needs to get to work — we can’t risk facing the largest tax hike in American history. After four years of record-high inflation, taxpayers deserve better.”

AFP launched the day of action in conjunction with a $20 million “Protect Prosperity” campaign, which the advocacy group called the single largest investment of any outside group dedicated to preserving the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

And it’s no coincidence that AFP focused its attention on competitive congressional districts in Arizona, Iowa, Michigan and Pennsylvania this weekend, as contentious races are expected in 2026. While Saturday’s day of action was designed to spotlight how Republican representatives are working in Washington, D.C., to boost the economy for everyday Americans back home, it also launched an early messaging campaign.

As Democrats try to win back control in the House of Representatives in 2026, AFP is getting ahead of Democrats’ likely attacks on vulnerable Republicans’ support for Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” — by telling Republican voters that their representatives are delivering for them.