Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers Tuesday that the U.S. economy is showing strong signs of resilience, with job gains outpacing expectations and inflation finally easing across key consumer categories, championing the Trump administration’s policy actions.
In testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, Bessent defended the Trump administration’s economic playbook, calling it a “three-legged stool” of trade, tax and deregulation designed to accelerate domestic investment and push wages higher.
“464,000 new jobs were added to the economy in the first 100 days,” he said.
“In April alone, over 177,000 American jobs were added, which is more than 40,000 than economists predicted,” he added.
Tariff Talks Accelerate, Trade Deals on Deck
When questioned on the administration’s international strategy, Bessent revealed that the U.S. is actively renegotiating tariffs with 17 of its 18 top trading partners a move that could yield significant progress in the coming months.
“I would be surprised if we don’t have more than 80 or 90 percent of those wrapped up by year-end,” Bessent said. “That may be …