You Can’t Tip Your Way Out of Bad Policy: Miller-Meeks Under Fire

Fairness for Iowa Responds to Miller-Meeks’ Viral Backlash

DES MOINES, Iowa — Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks is facing national backlash after her viral post on X about the Republican Tax Law. The post, which has drawn more than 10 million views, shows the Congresswoman’s restaurant receipt and a tip that was well below the standard 20 percent — shortchanging the very workers she claims to support. But the real harm to Iowa’s tipped workers comes from her vote for the Republican Tax Law, which overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy while leaving working people behind.

Instead of listening to working Iowans about the real challenges they face —from the rising cost of groceries as a result of tariffs she voted for to stagnant wages — Miller-Meeks has used her platform to promote political gimmicks. While the Republican Tax Law includes a so-called “no tax on tips” provision, many tipped workers will actually see little to no gain and will instead face deeper financial losses due to the law’s deep cuts to programs they rely on, including Medicaid and SNAP.

Among six major tipped occupations, taxi drivers, personal appearance workers, waiters, and bartenders, nearly 30 percent of workers’ health coverage comes from Medicaid or health tax credits from the Affordable Care Act , and 15 percent of households rely on SNAP. As a result of the law, hundreds of thousands of workers risk losing access to these vital programs.  The GOP Tax Law will kick 110,000 Iowans off their health care and will put 23,000 Iowans at immediate risk of losing SNAP  — dramatically outweighing any benefit from the “no tax on tips” provision. In short, the law Miller-Meeks voted for ultimately hurts Iowans struggling to make ends meet while rewarding the wealthy.

“Congresswoman Miller-Meeks continues to show just how out of touch she is with everyday Iowans,” said Mazie Stilwell, Executive Director of Progress Iowa. “Working people aren’t asking for viral stunts, they’re asking for leaders who will fight for better wages, affordable health care, and real economic security. Instead, Miller-Meeks voted for a tax law that rewards the wealthy while cutting programs like Medicaid and SNAP, leaving tipped workers and their families struggling to make ends meet.”