Iowa Republican Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks was called out for sharing a photo of her tiny tip on a meal as she celebrated the GOP's "no tax on tips" deduction.
Miller-Meeks ate at Iowa’s Sundown Bar and Grill on Monday, where she posed for a photo in which she is shown holding up her receipt, on which she'd written "No tax on tips!" A few dollar bills sit on the table in front of her.
She wrote:
“Made a pit stop in Iowa County for lunch at Sun Down Bar and Grill. I got to celebrate No Tax on Tips with our wonderful server, she’s thrilled about this provision and excited to keep more of what she earns!”
The photo of the receipt showed Miller-Meeks ordered corn nuggets for $7 and a Philly cheesesteak sandwich for $10, bringing the bill to $18.19 with tax. She left $21 and loose change on the table. The receipt also indicated that a 20% tip on the total would have been $3.40.
That's not the flex she think it is—especially given Miller-Meeks’ congressional salary of nearly $200,000.
You can see her post and the photo below.
@RepMMM/X
Congress last month passed Trump’s “No Tax on Tips” provision as part of the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill. The legislation allows workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from federal income taxes. President Donald Trump has lauded the measure but critics say the measure may disproportionately benefit higher-earning tipped employees.
Anthony Fakhoury, a spokesperson with Miller-Meeks' office, dismissed criticisms of the tip she left her server, saying she "left a 20% tip, and unlike Democrats, she did not vote to increase taxes on hardworking Iowans. 'No Tax on Tips’ means more money in the pockets of servers, not the IRS.”
But no one was impressed by the congresswoman's political posturing.
Miller-Meeks' post comes as Democratic candidate Christina Bohannan, narrowly defeated last year by Miller-Meeks, announced plans to run again in 2026, with Iowa viewed as a key battleground for House control.
National Republican Congressional Committee Emily Tuttle told Iowa News Now they "should focus on the 25+ public events Congresswoman Miller-Meeks has hosted this month to serve Iowans while two-time loser Christina Bohannon has been hiding in her Florida mansion.”
