Joe supports ITEP in monitoring federal tax policies. His research focuses on progressive tax priorities to ensure corporations and the ultra wealthy pay their fair share. Prior to joining ITEP in 2021, Joe worked at the Congressional Research Service and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He completed a master’s in applied economics at George Washington University and undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee.
Recent Publications
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June Budget Report Doesn’t Erase Our Nation’s Fiscal Challenges
July 15, 2025 • By Joe Hughes
Nobody should be too excited and think this means our country is headed toward lower deficits - especially when the administration recently signed one of the most expensive budget reconciliation bills in history.
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There Were Far Cheaper and Fairer Options Than the Trump Megabill
July 8, 2025 • By Jessica Vela, Joe Hughes, Steve Wamhoff
Congress and the president could have spent less than half that much money on a tax bill that does more for working-class and middle-class households.
Recent Media Mentions
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Houston Chronicle: Texas Oil Companies Forecast Billions in Tax Breaks from Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill'
September 9, 2025 • By Joe Hughes
The Houston oil-company Occidental Petroleum reported last month it was expecting a large tax break from President Donald Trump's tax and spending cut package known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — to the tune of $700 to $800 million over the next two years.
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Yahoo Finance: Child Tax Credit Gets Small Boost in Trump's Tax Bill, but Millions of Families Are Left Out
July 7, 2025 • By Joe Hughes
The popular child tax credit will receive a slight boost from President Trump’s signature tax and spending bill – but there are caveats.
