House Passes Bill to End Production of U.S. Penny, Prioritizing Corporate Savings Over Working People
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The House approved the Common Cents Act, halting the minting of the one-cent coin and forcing cash transactions to be rounded, under the guise of saving $56 million annually for the Treasury—while raising concerns about impacts on low-income Americans.
In a unanimous vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the so-called bipartisan Common Cents Act, a move that will end the minting of new one-cent coins except for collector items and force cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents. While the legislation claims to include an exception for cash wages—rounded up when not divisible by five cents—it leaves existing pennies as legal tender, a hollow gesture for those most affected by the change.
The Treasury’s press release touts an annual savings of $56 million, justifying the measure by pointing to the rising cost of producing pennies, now more than three times their face value. Yet, instead of addressing the root causes of economic inefficiency or corporate profiteering, the bill simply shifts the burden onto everyday people. The act also allows the Mint to manufacture nickels with cheaper materials, further prioritizing cost-cutting over quality.
Sponsored by Republican Lisa McClain and Democrat Robert Garcia, the bill directs the Treasury to monitor the impact of rounding rules on low-income households, seniors, and other vulnerable groups. However, such monitoring is a weak safeguard, given the disproportionate effect these changes may have on those who rely most on cash transactions. If signed into law, the legislation would tie the hands of future administrations, preventing them from reversing this decision—even though the Mint had already stopped regular penny production in November 2025 after over two centuries of circulation. Once again, the interests of the powerful are protected, while working people are left to bear the consequences.