Continue beyond 1 50 p. M. Each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip shall be limited to five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from connecticut, mr. Courtny, for five minutes. Mr. Courtney thank you, mr. Speaker. R. Speaker, its been just about 100 hours since the House Republican leadership released their tax plan, finally, not only to the American People, but also to their own rankandfile members. I about 100 hours since the house its eastern connecticut. About half the state geographically. Home to the university of connecticut, electric boat shipyard, coast guard academy. Im very proud of the fact that these are sharp folks. In that less than 100hour period i have had about 700 emails and calls into my office from people who have looked at this plan, have run the numbers, at what the existing tax code provides, and looks at what the net impact will be if this plan were to become law. Lewis from nor witch, connecticut, a tax preparer, ascribes a neighbor of his who is 68, she lives by herself. She earns 33,000 in pension and Social Security income. Of he only which 21,000 in taxable. She has a small mortgage. She looked at the republican tax plan which includes a standard deduction of 12,500 and thats it. Her new tax will be 1,014. If that plan were to go into effect. Itemized ting law the deductions she can claim today 12,500, the ut same amount as the standard. But she also able to claim a personal exemption, which every american is entitled to under the 12,500, the same amount as the standard. But she existing tax code. And with that existing plan, her et taxes are 445. This tax plan will more than double her taxes. 33,000 a year for a 68yearold, i would say thats barely middle class, but certainly its middle class for under a lot of definitions as a homeowner. Yet this tax plan sin creasing her taxes by over 100 . I was contacted about the fact this tax plan will eliminate the deduction for qualified medical expenses above 10 of your adjusted dwrose income. What does that mean . If you have medical expenses for eyeglasses, hearing aids, someone in naursing home you are paying outofpocket expenses for or a Home Health Care aide in your office thats not covered under insurance. You can deduct that off your taxes to the exextent it exceeds 10 of your adjusted gross ncome. Cliptoconnecticut is a middle class communities. His taxes are going up. That qualified medical deduction gain is something that was repeated over and over from individuals who contacted my office, who cant believe it. That, again, they are doing the ight thing. Repeated over and over from individuals who contacted my office, who cant believe it. That, again, they are doing the right thing. They are paying their bills for their health care, for themselves, or for their kids, or their aunt or parent. And they are losing that deduction. Im sorry, parent. And they are losing that deduction. Im sorry, the standard deduction thats being offered as a compensation doesnt come close to repeated over and over from hel in that situation. In addition, the state tax deduction, which plenty tax code allows, is which present tax code allows, is gone. The state of connecticut they calculated families that earn between 50,000 and 200,000 a year will see taxes increase by 14 under this proposal. Mr. Speaker, were talking about a plan which was sold to the country as a tax cut for the middle class. And again, theres lots of other economic incentives they put in there supposedly for corporations to cut their Corporate Tax rate antirates for people in the top 1 . Its totally imbalanced. Ill set that aside what was also guaranteed and promised with that middle class americans would see their taxes going down. As lewis from nor witch, and mark from clintornings and jason who will lose his College StudentLoan Interest rate deduction, they eliminate the College StudentLoan Interest rate deduction. Were living at a time right now where Student Loan Debt is 1. 3 trillion. People one of the few ways you can manage that debt is being able to deduct it off your taxes. That is being eliminated under the House Republican plan. Now, if i sound a little worked up its because folks literally within minutes, the house ways and Means Committee will start marking up this bill. Not one hearing is being held from outside voices to sort of at least crunch through the umbers of this proposal. Antiplan is for the speaker ryan to force a vote next week. Less than 10 days for rewriting the u. S. Tax code, which has not been rewritten since 1986. When it was done under president reagan, it took a year for the process to under unfold. That was the right way to do it. To allow the subcommittees to take a look at their provisions of the tax code on the ways and Means Committee. To hold hearings. To actually have an intelligent, thoughtful exchange of ideas before they mark it up. Rather than jamming it to the floor. When you are takingway peoples medical expenses. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Credit people the deduction people get for depenent care assistance programs. If you have a kid who is developmentally disabled and needs a personal care attendant in your home, you can deduct that. This is a bad plan. We need to slow down, give the American People a chance to understand this better. I call on the ways and Means Committee to again slow down and cancel the hearings markups scheduled this week. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. Does any other member wish to be recognized . Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until 2 00 p. M. Toda for now, though, well take a look at some of todays washington journal. Former pea democratic congressman Jason Altmire joins us now. He recently published his