U.S. Representative Jennifer A. Kiggans said on April 11 that recent tax relief measures are designed to support family farms and small businesses in rural areas of Virginia’s Second Congressional District.
The topic is significant for many residents in VA-02, where agriculture remains a major economic driver and family-owned operations depend on stable tax policies to continue across generations.
“The Working Families Tax Cut, which I proudly voted for, delivers meaningful relief to our rural communities here in VA-02. By making the doubled Death Tax exemption permanent and cutting red tape, House Republicans are protecting family farms, small businesses, and the livelihoods that keep our communities strong,” Kiggans said in her social media post following her vote in favor of the Working Families Tax Cut legislation, which includes provisions aimed at benefiting rural Virginia.
Virginia has approximately 39,000 farms spanning 7.3 million acres, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Agriculture remains the state’s largest private industry, generating an annual economic impact of $82.3 billion and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. Family farms in districts such as VA-02 depend on predictable tax policies to remain viable across generations, according to the department.
Making the doubled estate tax exemption permanent helps reduce the risk of forced liquidation for family farms and small businesses during generational transfers, according to House Republican analyses of the tax legislation. The provision is intended to provide greater stability for rural economies, where land ownership and business succession are critical to continued operations and local economic activity, according to House Republican analyses.
Kiggans previously served as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy and as a geriatric nurse practitioner. She was first elected to represent Virginia’s Second Congressional District in 2022 and has focused on economic and national security issues affecting both coastal and rural Virginia communities, according to her official biography.
