Improvement over existing therapies. This is based on the successful breakthrough designation created by congress back in 20 is 12. This has worked and accelerated oncology drug reviews by more than two years. In short h. R. 4374 addresses the access to the newest available products by expanding the circumstances under which emergency use authorizations can be issued and by establishing a pathway to full approval of products at the secretary of defense requests. Policies were bipartisan and developed with input from the administration and authorizing committees in the house and the senate. C. B. O. Has indicated that h. R. 4374 will have no impact on direct spending or revenue. So, mr. Speaker, this is not only a good bill but an important bill for our men and women in uniform and i urge my colleagues to support h. R. 4374. And i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. Today we are mr. Pallone today we are talking about authorizing emergency uses. I want to ensure our military personnel who put their lives in harms way for our freedom have access to the medical products they need. I have supported and will continue to support that further the goal of protecting troops from lifethreatening risks. But these policies have to be plansed balanced to ensure that in our effort to protect troops from harm we are not inadvertently exposing home to risk from unproven products. Thats why i was disappointed to learn the conference report included a policy supported by the senate that would have given the secretary of Defense Authority to authorize emergency access to unapproved medical products. Authority that solely rests within the food and Drug Administration today. This provision was not the subject of hearing and debate. Did not receive the congressional oversight it should have. And i believe decisions of such consequence should go through regular order, providing members and stake holders with the opportunity to learn fully of the risks and benefits associated with transferring Regulatory Oversight of medical products to an agency that is not equipped with the expertise and medical Product Knowledge of the food and Drug Administration. While im not pleased with the process and how it unfolded, i support h. R. 4374 because i believe it will maintain Emergency Use Authority with the agency that has the resources and scientific expertise needed to make decisions about access to unproven medical products. It is solely the f. D. A. That has been charged with weighing the risks and benefits of medical products and making determinations as to their safety and effectiveness. This legislation maintains the f. D. A. s Important Role in that process. Mr. Speaker, h. R. 4374 not only addresses the department of defenses concerns about access to medical products in the instances of i should say in the instances of military emergency bus goes further by provide providing them with Additional Support and assistance to expedite the review and development of medical products of priority to the department. It also had the f. D. A. Meeting with the department of defense to discuss their priorities and product pipelines. I want to thank commissioner gottlieb and Senate Health chairman alexander and Ranking Member murray for working to find a compromise that will maintain proper Regulatory Oversight over emergency uses of unproved medical predicts while also ensuring that our nations military has access to the products they need in a military emergency situation. I to urge my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation and at this time i reserve the balance of my time, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Walden thank you, mr. Speaker. The ld like to recognize gentleman mr. Shimkus for three minutes. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Shimkus thank you, mr. Speaker. Its great to be on the floor today. It was an awesome opportunity to be a conferee on the National Defense authorization bill. As a veteran, five years active, army infantry, 23 in the reserves, i dont get a chance to do that very often because im on the best committee in congress, energy and commerce. But to be able to be in that process im very appreciative to you and the other conferees. You learn what you learn and the military had a problem. They had a long delayed issue on freezedried plasma that is inexcusable and they took action in the legislative language to ectify that delay. And we would too. But the legislative process worked, i want to commend my colleagues on the Minority Side and Ranking Member pallone because what we want for our men and women in uniform, we want them to get an expedited pathway to lifesaving devices and drugs. But we also want to make sure those things are safe. And the premier institution for safety and efficacy is the food and Drug Administration. Now we have a new administration that probably wouldnt have had an eightyear delay on freezedried plasma. We have a new administrator of the f. D. A. Who has committed to reform these processes. But good intentions is not all that we need. We need legislative language. We need to try these changes in the law. S that good example, when i used to teach government and history in high school, of how government works. House bill, senate bill, go to conference. Even after conference it wasnt just right so the legislative leaders went to work. To fix this. The changes have been identified by both the Ranking Member and the chairman but the bottom line is, the f. D. A. Needs to have the opportunity to look and expedite the drug and we give them a shot for those people in harms way to make sure drugs and devices and is available to our war fighter, that its safe, and secure, and delivered in a timely manner. This is the least we can do for our men and women in uniform. I thank my colleagues on both sides. I thank chairman thornberry. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone i reserve, i dont have any other speakers at this tame. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the swrelt from oregon. Mr. Walden i thank the gentleman. I want to thank the gentleman from illinois, mr. Shimkus, also a west point graduate i believe, we appreciate his counsel, i concur. Appreciate working with the House Armed Services committee and its able chairman, my friend, mac thornberry. Now the chairman of the Veterans Affairs committee a doctor himself and a veteran, dr. Row of tennessee is recognized for three minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Roe thank you. I rise in support of h. R. 3374 because our Nations Servicemens deserve the best and safest treatments available especially when they are in harms way this bill fixes a provision in the f. Y. 2018 ndaa which passed the house overwhelmingly just yesterday. Which would have athroid secretary of defense to approve the emergency use of medications that have not yet receive f. D. A. Approval. Under todays legislation, we ensure the f. D. A. Will review any emergency d. O. D. Request for the use of unapproved medical products on an expedited basis while maintaining the f. D. A. s Critical Role of evaluating the safety and effectiveness of treatments. This new authorization will include situations when the secretary of defense determines that a risk of attack with an agent that may cause imminently lifethreatening and specific risks to United States military forces. As a physician and veteran myself, and the chairman of the house Veterans Affairs committee, ive worked tirelessly to ensure our Nations Service members have access to the best, safest, and most effective medical treatments available in service and after. While we all want breakthrough treatments made available to our nations men and women in service as quickly as wobble, we need to make sure they are safe and effect before subjecting members of our armed forces to unproven treatments and the entrance of in the interest of expedience. I have spoken to f. D. A. Commissioner gottlieb on this issue and he assures me the f. D. A. Will work collaboratively with d. O. D. To ensure the processes work more effectively for our troops. With that, i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. Mr. Pallone i continue to reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from oregon. Mr. Walden i recognize the gentleman from colorado who has served our nation, i think in two different uniforms, and is a terrific member of the member of the Armed Services committee, mr. Coffman for two minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Coffman i rise today in support of House Resolution 4374. Having served in the first gulf were en military analysts saying, predicting that there could be 30,000 Coalition Casualties in a ground war with iraq. We knew that Saddam Hussein had both chemical and biological stockpiles and at that time, there was a an experimental drug given for the pretreatment to increase the survival after the exposure to nerve gas. It was untested in terms of the f. D. A. Did not go through their lengthy bureaucratic process. But it was, i think, rightly assumed by military leaders that the risk of giving this drug that didnt go through all the bureaucratic possess that i think are important, that that the risk of nerve gas exposure outweighed those risks. The just want to commend energy and Commerce Committee as well as the leadership of the Armed Services committee, the leadership of both committees for working together with the department of defense and the f. D. A. To find that middle ground where the military can have access to drugs and medical devices expeditiously to meet the rapidly changing threats on the battlefield. I again thank chairman thornberry for his unyielding support on this issue and i thank chairman walden for offering legislation that seeks to uh seeks to put this process on the right path. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone reserve. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon. Mr. Walden im now honored to recognize the gentleman from ohio, a terrific member of our conference and of the Armed Services committee, a ractitioner of medicine, a saver of wounded people, including our own whip of the house, Brad Wenstrup is recognized for two minutes, three minutes . Two minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Wenstrup i rise in support of House Resolution 4374. This would amend the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act to authorize additional uses for medical products to reduce deaths and severe injuries caused by agents of war. Having served as a combat surgeon in iraq i understand the importance of being able to administer lifesaving dreams at a moments notice. Our Service Members going into harms way must be confident that their corpsmen, medics, docs, are equipped with the latest technology to save lives every time. Freezedried plasma is used in the initial resuscitation of combat casualties. Since 2011, 24 severely injured u. S. Troops have been treated with freezedried plasma provided by the french who have used this successfully since 1994. Of those patients, 17 lives were saved due to rapid treatment with freezedried plasma. H. R. 4374 is important because it puts a process in place to broaden the definition of military emergencies and provides the department of defense with access to expedited f. D. A. Processes for the investigational products like freezedried plasma. I support chairman thornberrys unwavering leadership on this issue with rapidly developing medical technology, the f. D. A. Must be part of the modernization and readiness of our armed forces. Were committed to ensuring that the f. D. A. Does the best it can for our deployed forces. I hope that we can find a way to enable the f. D. A. To consider approved research and clinical studies from our allies in an effort to aid their approval process. The future will likely bring more medical devices and drugs that can save lives. Having a process to approve and implement emerging medical technologies is a matter of life and death. Especially for our brave troops. Mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The gentleman reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. The gentleman from new jersey reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon. Mr. Walden i dont think we have any other speakers on our side, mr. Speaker, so im prepared to close. Youve heard from my colleagues the importance of this legislation. We found a good balance with our friends on the Armed Service committees and in working with the f. D. A. And with the leadership of the pentagon to get this right because what matters to most americans is we take care of our warriors on the field when theyre injured and in harms way. Were doing the best possible thing we can for them. I think this is important legislation and i encourage my colleagues to vote for it. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone i yield myself such time. Mr. Speaker, i would urge my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation. I do think its a good compromise dealing with these military emergencies but at the same time, making sure that the f. D. A. Which has responsibility for approving medical products, still retains its authority. So i would urge a yes vote. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 3474. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resumes on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. Votes will be taken in the following order. Yeas and nays. H. R. 2672 by the yeas and nays. The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15minute vote. Remaining electronic votes will be conducted as fiveminute votes. The Unfinished Business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from kentucky, mr. Comer, to suspend the rules and pass h. R. 3821 as amended on which the yeas and nays are ordered. The clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 3821, a bill to designate the facility of the United StatesPostal Service located at 430 main street in clermont, georgia, as the zachary addington post office. The speaker pro tempore the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. Members will record their votes by electronic device. This is a 15minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the speaker pro tempore on this vote, the yeas are 420, the nays are 0. 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Without objection, the title amended. The Unfinished Business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from kentucky, mr. Comber, to suspend the rules and pass h. R. 267 , on which the yeas and nays are ordered. The clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 2672, a bill to designate the facility of the United StatesPostal Service located at 520 carter street in irview, illinois, as the sergeant toug las j. Riney post office. The speaker pro tempore members will record their votes by electronic device. This is a fiveminute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the speaker pro tempore on this vote the yeas are 423. The nays are zero. 2 3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. For what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition . Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, i am going to ask unanimous consent that the committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of house concurrent resolution 92, and i ask for its immediate consideration in the house. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. The clerk house concurrent resolution 92, concurrent resolution recognizing the deep and abiding friendship between the United States and israel. The speaker pro tempore is there objection to the consideration of the concurrent resolution . For what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition . Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, i have an amendment at the desk. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the amendment. The clerk amendment offered by mr. Royce of california. Page 3, line 3, strike without prejudice to the rights of all people to live within or alongside israel in peace and insert, upholds full and equal rights for all of its citizens. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the amendment is agreed to. The concurrent resolution is agreed to, and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition . Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 619 i call up the bill h. R. 1, the tax cuts and jobs act and ask for its immediate consideration. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk Union Calendar number 302. H. R. 1, a bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title 2 of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the House Resolution 619, in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on ways and means printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of rules Committee Print 11539 is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered as read. The bill shall be debated for four hours equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on ways and means. The gentleman from texas, mr. Brady, and the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. Neal, will each control two hours. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill currently under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. So ordered. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, could you call the house to order . The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is correct. The house is not in order. Ask members to take their conversations outside. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, today the full house begins consideration of h. R. 1, the tax cuts and jobs act, historic tax reform legislation that will revitalize our economy and provide lasting tax relief for americans of all walks of life. Over 30 years have gone by since the last overhaul of our nations tax system, and in that time our tax code has become one of the most complicated, up fair and uncompetitive in the world. And today its impacting nearly every aspect of americans lives and not for the better. The overwhelming complexity of todays system forces american taxpayers to spend billions of hours and billions of dollars every year just filing their taxes. Trillions of dollars of carveouts and loopholes give favoritism to washingtons special interests while hardworking americans get nothing but frustration. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman can continue. Mr. Brady with some of the highest tax rates in the world for our businesses, were seeing goodpaying american jobs in manufacturing plants move overseas one after the other. Today with the tax cuts and jobs act, we change all of this. With this bill we have an opportunity to deliver the most transformation tax overhaul in a generation. But make no mistake, this bill is not about us, its not about congress. This bill is about for the first time in decades providing the American People with a simple and fairer tax system, so much so nine out of 10 americans will be able to file using a simple postcardstyle system. Its about finally rewarding hard work, growing jobs and paychecks and allowing americans to keep more of their hardearned money to use on whatever is important to them. So if you are one of the millions of americans who are sick of todays tax code, you will see a remarkable difference. Youll see a standard deduction doubled, increasing to protect more of every paycheck from taxes. Youll have a larger Child Tax Credit, providing more support as you raise a family and care for your loved ones, and more americans will get help raising their kids. Theyll have peace of mind when it comes to some of lifes most important investments, because this bill preserves tax benefits to help you afford your home, to pay your property taxes and put your kids through college. So if youre a typical middle income family of four making 59,000 a year, you are going to get a tax cut of nearly 1,200. More than that, you are going to enjoy the benefits of a strong, healthy and growing American Economy. You are going to see more jobs on main street. With this bill our Small Businesses will finally have low tax rates and a fairer tax code that works with them as they grow and create jobs. You are going to see our larger businesses, our iconic American Brands and major manufacturers win throughout the world and create goodpaying jobs here at home because with this bill we are going to have the most modern and one of the most competitive tax codes on the planet. That includes lower our corporate rate from 35 to 20 , which beats many of our international competitors. Not only are we going to see jobs stop leaving the United States, you are going to see our nation become a 21st century magnet for job creation and business investment. With the tax cuts and jobs act, you, the American People, will see and help lead the way in launching a new era of made in america innovation. In the end, the tax cut and jobs act is a striking alternative to the broken tax code we have today. It represents a bold path forward that will allow you as a country to break out of the slowgrowth status quo once and for all. Mr. Speaker, the American People have waited years, decades for a fair, simple and competitive tax code. Right now in this moment we stand on the doorstep of delivering the most sweeping tax overhaul since president reagans reforms in 1986. And like president reagan back then, President Trump is now putting his full support behind this effort. Lets pass this historic bill and take another step forward in delivering bold, progrowth, profamily tax reform for americans throughout this nation. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. Mr. Neal thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Neal thank you. Mr. Speaker, im delighted the chairman mentioned president reagan, but he made it sound as though president reagan did tax reform on his own. Tax reform in 1986 was done in a bipartisan manner. I guess we just leave out lead out neill and we the chair and senator bradley or congressman gephardt and the reason theyre left out is because even though it was accomplished in 1986 it started in 1982 when mr. Gephardt and mr. Bradley introduced the first tax reform act. So what happened in those intervening years . Well, the ways and Means Committee took testimony from 450 witnesses. They held 30 markups. Untold number of hearings. Now, contrast that to what we did in the ways and Means Committee. Not one witness. Not one hearing. Not one opportunity to hear rom renowned economists, labor leads or individuals who would have great knowledge not just what happened in 1986 but what could happen in this chamber, and instead were Going Forward with this illconsidered effort and this is a missed opportunity. This is a bad deal for millions of americans in the middle class. The legislation puts the wealthy, the wellconnected and the strong once again at the top. 36 million americans are going to receive a tax increase. When they talk about tax simplification, take a look at the phaseins and the phaseouts of this measure. Thats hardly simplification. Its greater complexity. Oh, and by the way, the corporate rate is made permanent. The individual issues phase out after five years. Consider this. 13 Million People will lose their Health Insurance based upon what republicans are doing in the United States senate. Theyre going to lose their health care to pay for a tax cut for people at the very top. Let me just walk you through some of these provisions, because i think that they deserve our attention. And the magnifying glass of critical analysis. , we are being asked tonight to borrow 2. 3 trillion to pay for this tax cut. These are from people who regularly lecture the american electorate on the need for fiscal austerity and balanced budgets. When Barack Obamas president , the budget should be balanced. When bill clinton is president , the budget should be balanced. But in the intervening period of time, apparently, we dont have to balance the budget. 2. 3 trillion is being added to the debt and deficits. So we are witnessing what they are attempting to do because theyre going to scale back the tax benefit for buying a new home by lowering the cap on mortgage Interest Deduction to 500,000. That is going to lower home values. H. R. 1 repeals the new markets tax credits. The historic tax credit, which has transformed american cities, is being eliminated. They beat up the Municipal Bond market as market. As a form mayor, i have knowledge of the Municipal Bond market, because theyre getting rid of the private activity bonds. I years ago raised the cap so we might do more intervention and innovation in terms of rebuilding our airports across the country. Private activity bonds are a key for financing Affordable Housing and its going to go by the wayside if they have their way. Its going to have a profound impact on the housing market. They eliminate several deductions and exclusions that help students pay for their college education, including a deduction for interest on Student Loans. Pay attention to this number. Student debt in america is at 1. 3 trillion and theyre taking away the ability of students to deduct that interest on those loans. And they impose a new tax on universities and colleges. They repeal the above the line deduction for teachers out of pocket expenses. You know those teach who are good enough in september because they might be short of school supplies, they pack the car up and bring it to school and we give them a 250 deduction and theyre going to take it away. They create a health tax, an alzheimers tax, by repealing the medical expense deduction. This change basically scraps a familys ability to receive Financial Relief when dealing with serious medical conditions. So think of it this way. We celebrate annually the increases in life he can peck tansy in america. 8 expectancy in america. 80 for a male. 81 for a female. But we have to acknowledge Something Else. More dementia and more alzheimers as people grow older in america. Their decision, lets take away the ability of individuals to deduct those expenses. They also want to write off a very important consideration for the middle class and their ability to deduct Real Property tax costs, up to 10,000. Contrast this with what these tax cuts do for the wealthy. H. R. 1 repeals the estate tax, which is paid by that number of families in america. Theyre going to repeal it. I guess the slogan becomes, were rich and were not going to take it anymore. Thats not a tax on conrad hilton, its a tax on paris hilton, and thats what we should be considering with greater efforts on their side, to further concentrate wealth. And by the way, an issue i have worked on for decades here, successfully. Because 27 million middle class families no longer pay alternative minimum tax. But guess what theyre going to do. Theyre going to eliminate it now for 4 1 2 of the richest families in america. Theyre going to take away that payment. This is a missed opportunity, mr. Speaker. This could have been done the way chairman brady indicated in 1986. Hearings, markups, a genuine effort to find common ground. On our side ive waited all these years to do this and tonight what youre witnessing and tomorrow this they need a victory and tomorrow, they need a victory. Thats what this is about. Its a victory in search of a policy. And i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, i yield myself 10 seconds. Ill note that my good friend from massachusetts in his district, the average family of four making 87,000 will see a tax cut of 2,032. Im pleased now to yield three minutes to the chairman of the tax policy subcommittee, and a leader in this tax reform effort, the gentleman from illinois, mr. Roskam. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman voids. Mr. Roskam thank you, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Roskam thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you, mr. Brady. This is no missed opportunity. What were witnessing is the seizing of an opportunity. During the debate, our friends on the other side of the aisle, in 25 hours of markup last week, offered amendment after amendment after amendment. I think it was about 25 amendments. And you know what every one of the amendments did, mr. Speaker . Restored the status quo. Put Something Back in, put another thing back in, defend Something Else and so forth. There was no comprehensive offer of an amendment in the nature of a substitute that would have been transformational. Theres no exclusion here. We debated, we are now here and for the First Time Since 1986 were on the cusp of seizing an opportunity and having a transformational moment. And heres the transform. When the tax code was transformation. When the tax code was last amended 30 years ago, think about, it the internet didnt exist as a commercial enterprise. Yet it has fully developed. And we have a tax code that was built for yesterday. The Global Nature of supply chains, they were nowhere nearly as intricately interlinked and yet we have a tax code that was built for yesterday. He shared economy, airbnb, uber, lyft, all of those things didnt exist, and yet we have an economy that was built, we have a tax code that was built for yesterday. Who does the status quo benefit, mr. Speaker . It benefits the few. It benefits the privileged. It benefits the folks at the top of the economic scale of things. And so what this is doing is its proposing a very difficult approach. It says, were going to make the United States the most competitive jurisdiction in the world, by giving business tax relief and welcoming back commercial enterprise and growth and prosperity and ingenuity and investment. That does what . It creates paychecks and it expands opportunities. Kids graduating from college shouldnt have to grub around piecing together two jobs and living in their parents basement. How absurd. We can do much better. Were the biggest, best economy in the world, and its time we acted like it. This is transformational. And to lean back in a and away from this and say, oh, this tax code is a Natural Disaster that is just too big and its too overwhelming, that we cant deal with, nonsense. We fundamentally reject that. Were going to be measured in the future, mr. Speaker. By this moment. And want to thank chairman brady for his leadership in creating this, because now is the time to act. Lets not defend the status quo. Lets move forward and lets transform this economy. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. Mr. Neal thank you, mr. Speaker. I am for maintaining the status quo by allowing students to deduct their student loan interest. I yield to the gentlelady from illinois. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Schakowsky everyone knows that the republican tax scam gives massive tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires and corporations and they do it in part by increasing Health Care Costs for millions of americans. Er 36 million middle class households will see a tax hike under this bill. Families with big medical bills will take the hardest hit. Thats because americans will no longer be able to deduct Major Medical expenses such as Cancer Treatment or alzheimers from their federal income taxes. This is a middle class tax hike. Seven in 10 households using the medical expense deduction make under 75,000 a year and repealing the deduction would especially hurt seniors who use it for longterm care expenses. The bill takes a second swipe at americas seniors and people with disabilities. According to the congressional budget office, by not paying for tax cuts for the wealthy, republicans would trigger automatic cuts to medicare, slashing 25 billion from medicare in 2018 alone. But the 25 billion cut to medicare is just the beginning. The same republican budget that cleared the way for a 1. 1 trillion in tax cuts for the super wealthy proposed cutting medicare and medicaid, by no coincidence, by 1. 5 trillion. And now Senate Republicans want to pay for additional tax cuts by repealing a key part of the Affordable Care act. This change would increase the number of uninsured americans by 13 million and increase premiums by 10 . Middle class families, people with disabilities, seniors struggling to afford health care, should not foot the bill for billionaires to get a tax cut. I urge my colleagues to make the healthy choice for americans and vote against the republican tax scam. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, im really honored to yield three minutes to the chairman of the trade subcommittee and a champion for working families, the gentleman from washington, mr. Reichert. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Reichert thank you, mr. Chairman, for yielding, and i thank him for his leadership. And bringing this tough piece of legislation, tough, i mean, only in the sense that it has taken years to put this together. And at least 40 hearings on the legislation thats presented today. So, mr. Speaker, when i travel my district, from the suburbs of auburn, washington, to the orchards, i hear the same thing from middle income, hardworking families, from the apple grower, the tech entrepreneur, and the growing family. They want to keep more of their hardearned money. They plan for the future, they want to plan even more. They want to have some certainty in their future. And they want to care for those they love. They deserve a plan that gives them the opportunity at their first job. And they deserve a chance to decide how they want to spend their money. Its their money. Why wouldnt they deserve that chance . They want a tax code thats simpler, fairer, and that works for them. And they want the same Bright Future for their children. This is a bill thats not just a tax bill, but its a bill that reignites, in my opinion, the belief in the american dream. In the eighth district of washington state, the Median Income family of four will receive a tax cut of 3,654. 21,875 ashington state, new jobs will be created. This plan will change lives it. Will energize our economy lives. It will energize our economy and get our economy booming again. As we went through this process, i asked myself several questions. Over the last few years, to be honest with you. Here are the questions. Will this plan make the American Economy boom again . Will this plan create jobs in america . Will this plan increase paychecks . Will this plan put more money in the pockets of hardworking americans . And will this plan make the tax code fairer and simpler . And the answer i came to, and i think that americans will come to, mr. Speaker, the answer is a resounding yes. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. Mr. Neal thank you, mr. Speaker. This bill phases out the deductions that benefit middle income families. With that, i recognize the gentleman from illinois for two minutes, mr. Snyder. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Schneider thank you, mr. Speaker. We absolutely must reform our outdated and overly complex tax code. With the current bill this house is considering but the current bill this house is considering is not the way to do it. Ive heard from constituents and local elected officials about how this plan will hurt them and their communities. Rather than lifting our economy and making our local communities stronger, this bill before us is an unfair and fiscally reckless step backwards. This puts a real burden on the residents of states like illinois. One in three illinois taxpayers uses the salt deduction. Lets be clear. The salt deduction is not a tax break for the very wealthy. Its used by the hardworking American Families we need to be helping with tax reform, not hurting. Im also profoundly concerned about what this reform means for our grow debt. An additional 2. 3 trillion in debt is irresponsible in the extreme. Burdening our children and our grandchildren with the consequences. And now with the most recent Senate Version, the g. O. P. Is taking aim at the Affordable Care act, repealing the individual mandate without a workable replacement to further reduce enrollment in the individual Health Insurance markets, making coverage more expensive more millions of americans and their families. There are things we can do to improve the a. C. A. For example, delaying the looming taxes on medical devices and Health Insurance premiums has broad bipartisan support. We should be focused on Solutions Like these and improve, not just dismantle the a. C. A. But despite our willingness to work across the aisle, there was virtually no bipartisan engagement on the plan this house is rushing to vote on. But its not too late to change course. I urge my colleagues to take the time for full deliberation in a complete and bipartisan process. Together we can produce real tax reform that is fiscally responsible. Prioritizes the middle class and grows our economy for the next generation. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, im pleased to yield three minutes to the chairman of the Human Resources subcommittee and champion for agriculture, the gentleman from nebraska, mr. Smith. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Smith thank you, mr. Speaker. Chairman brady, thank you for the time and for your leadership as we continue our efforts to pass this historic legislation. Mr. Speaker, after nearly seven years of work in the ways and Means Committee and more than 31 years since our last true tax reform, many hearings along the way, it is time to pass historic comprehensive tax reform. Our current tax code is antiquated, as we know. Its complex and it ignores many of the improvements and competitiveness which have been adopted by every other major economy worldwide. The time for tax reform is now. Others have already outlined many of the highlights of this bill, but i think they warrant mentioning again. Simplified compliance and rates for individuals and families means more than 95 of americans will be able to file their returns on a postcard. Lower rates for Small Businesses recognize the Important Role they play as job creators in our economy. A 20 top Corporate Tax rate and transitioning to a territorial system will ensure our businesses remain competitive with the rest of the world. In addition to lower rates, expanded expensing will further encourage entrepreneurs to invest in capital to grow their businesses and full repeal of the death tax, including the continuation of stepped up basis will ensure our nations farmers, ranchers and small manufacturers can continue to create opportunity for generations to come without the threat of double taxation. Our tax code shouldnt reward businesses and investors because they hired accountants and lawyers to help them avoid taxes and the estate tax does exactly that right now. I think it is equally important to praise what the bill leaves alone in the tax code. With our impending entitlement crisis, we want americans to save everything they can for retirement. This bill leaves those incentives intact. It also excludes a proposal which had initially been included in the bill to apply selfemployment taxes to rental income. This could have had serious repercussions for ag land rental and im glad it was dropped and i particularly appreciate how it debates state and local taxes for businesses and ranchers. They have made Great Strides on a per acre basis but land remains a primary input as they work to field the world. Ensuring the property tax on land and production remains deductible as a business cost is vital to their continued success. This is the moment to finally provide the tax relief americans have been asking for and to make our country competitive again. I urge the passage of this progrowth bill and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. Mr. Neal thank you, mr. Speaker. More than 100,000 Nebraska Households making over 137,000 a year will see a tax increase under this bill. With that, my really good friend from sommerville, massachusetts, mr. Capuano is recognized for two minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Capuano thank you, mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Guys, im a former tax lawyer. My wife is a practicing c. P. A. Weve heard this before, simplification is going to help. It has never put a single accountant out of business and it wont do it now. It is another pot of the big scam going on. Why . Sure, ill put a tax break out of this. Some constituents will. But what do we get in return . We dont get health care. We dont get better roads. We dont get better education, but we do employee advise a ,000 to 10,000 but we do have a 5,000 to 10,000. No more medical deduction for you. We tell our current graduate students, too bad, no deductions for you. And on and on. And by the way, we have a new provision in here that i like to call the dynasty protection act. Why . Because if you have a dynasty, if you are worth 30 million, 40 million, 50 million, 100 million, your children get to keep it all. Not because theyve done anything, but because they won the genetic lottery. Good for them. And then, if they do get up off their butt and get a job, maybe start a hedge fund with all the money they inherited, they get another tax credit by not touching the tax special tax deals you have for hedge fund managers. And if they earn a little extra money, they get to keep more of it because theres no alternative minimum tax left. I know that President Trump will particularly appreciate that provision because we all know the only tax return weve seen, the a. M. T. Cost him 31 million. So thank you from the rich. Now, i dont have any problem with people being wealthy. I represent many of them. They dont want this tax cut because they know its bad for america. And as a final insult, the Corporate Tax you have mr. Neal i yield the gentleman. Mr. Capuano the Corporate Tax you have encourages businesses to send jobs offshore by not taxing profits made offshore when they expand jobs, if they do. Theyll do it offshore, not here in america, and i thank the gentleman for yielding. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Brady massachusetts will gain 24,000 jobs. Families will see a 3,000 increase in their paychecks. I am proud to yield three minutes to a key member of our committee and leader in technology and Employee Stock options, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. Paulsen. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Paulsen well, i thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker, for the first time in a generation middle income and hardworking americans will have a tax code that works for them rather than against them. Its been 30 long years since weve fixed our broken tax system and in that time our tax code has become one the most complicated in the world. Its led to a stagnant economy and sluggish growth. American businesses of all sizes have some of the highest tax rates in the world, sending our jobs, our manufacturing, our research and our headquarters overseas. And you know, the economic recovery hasnt been all that great since the great recession. Not that great for a lot of americans. Half the population is living paycheck to paycheck. Many either have or are at risk of having a lower standard of living than their parents. Young people like my daughters generation will go backwards if this country is not fundamentally more competitive. And seniors and those baby boomers preparing for retirement with a lifetime of savings are now at risk and the reforms in this bill today will help middle income families that want to save for the future and improve their own standard of living. The bill focuses on helping Small Businesses, main street, minnesota businesses with a simpler, clearer and fairer tax code thats critical for job creation. It lowers Small Business rates to 25 and even provides a 9 rate for the smallest main street startups. Modernizing the tax code is essential to allowing american businesses of all sizes to compete around the world and bring those jobs home. We need to be able to sell where the customers are and 95 of the worlds customers are outside the United States. The International Reforms in this bill will incentivize businesses to bring their money home to invest in our communities. And this bill includes Bipartisan Legislation that i authored, the empowering employees through Stock Ownership act, which helps those entrepreneurs and startups attract and retain talent. Hardworking taxpayers, mr. Speaker, deserve a tax code that is simpler, flatter and fairer so that every American Family and employer can file their taxes without having to hire an army of lawyers and accountants. So mr. Speaker, we have a choice. The choice for americans. We can truly grow the economy and put ourselves back on the path to real prosperity or we can continue to continue the actual trend we have right now of week Economic Growth which only benefits the few and the privileged and will do nothing for regular folks when the next economic downturn hits. Tax reform for me is about one thing and one thing only. Ts about restoring hope for a prosperous future, and for our children. I want to thank the chairman for his guiding leadership through this effort. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. Mr. Neal 40 of mr. Paulsens salt tuents use the deduction. I yield to the gentleman from wisconsin, a valued member of the ways and Means Committee, congressman ron kind. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Kind mr. Speaker, there are certain phrases that weve learn to with great suspicion. The check is in the mail. Its not you, its me. I have had just a few drinks. Im fine with driving. And now we have to add, that, dont worry, large tax cuts for the most wealthy will pay for themselves and im a fiscally conservative republican who cares about debt and deficits. A joint committee on taxation has determined that with interest payments, this bill will add over 2. 3 trillion with a t to our National Debt over the next 10 years. Thats why last week in committee i was offering an amendment that would expanded the endangered species list to include fiscally conservative republicans because your vote on this bill will make you extinct. And whats unfortunate is unlike past tax cuts that werent paid for, weve run out of time. We know longer have the luxury of time to recover from a huge fiscal mistake. Not with 70 million baby boomers beginning their massive retirement, 10,000 a day joining Social Security and medicare. Those programs and the solvency of Social Security and medicare will be in jeopardy with another 2. 3 trillion of debt over the next 10 years. And whats unfortunate, it didnt have to be this way. There was bipartisan interest in simplifying the code, making it more competitive, broadening the base, making it fairer for working families and Small Businesses and family farmers, but doing it in a fiscally responsible way. And asking 34 million americans to accept a tax increase to pay for a 43 marginal rate reduction to the Largest Companies is hardly responsible and its hardly fair. I encourage my colleagues to lets take a different approach and reject this bill. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, im proud to yield two minutes to the chair of the Budget Committee who cleared the path for this progrowth tax reform, the gentlelady from tennessee, mrs. Black. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Mrs. Black thank you, mr. Speaker. And i want to thank my chairman for his endless hours of work on listening, listening, listening to everyday people, listening to Small Businesses, listening to large businesses, listening to how what we put in this bill was going to affect the American People who at the end of the day are going to be the winners. So its been more than three decades since congress has worked with the white house to modernize our nations very confusing and complicated tax system. Just ask anybody who has filed their taxes on their own. We are closer to changing that day with h. R. 1, the tax cuts and jobs act. With this budget with the budget passed in both chambers and last weeks productive markup in the house ways and Means Committee, tax relief is on the horizon. With this legislation, republicans clearly recognize the need to do something about our heavy tax burden weighing down the hardworking american and holding back job creators. We also recognize the need to bring simplicity to the tax code. And in our tax reform plan, we will help low and middleincome americans see more of their hardearned paychecks by lowering the tax rates and nearly doubling the standard deduction for individuals and married couples. For instance, for an average middleclass family of four, that translates to a 1,200 tax cut. Now, ill tell you that is real money. And we also establish a new Family Credit that raises the Child Tax Credit and introduces new credits for family members and other dependents. The tax code will also become less confusing, making it possible for most americans to file their taxes on a single postcard. Our plan rightly provides tax relief for job creators, empowering entrepreneurs and Small Businesses to continue main g and operating on street. For my home state of tennessee, h. R. 1 will allow see families see an 1,200 mr. Chairman, may have i another 15 seconds . Mr. Brady i yield the gentlelady another 15 seconds. Mrs. Black according to the tax foundation, this bill would also mean 20,000 new jobs for my state. This will provide a welcome jolt to our economy which is badly in need following eight years of lackluster economy under the obama administration. Without question, tax reform is a challenge but the benefits of seeing it through will be felt for generations to come. Im proud to support this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do the same. We cannot miss this historic opportunity with that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. Mr. Neal over 223,000 tennessee household also see a tax increase with this bill. I yield two minutes to the gentleman from kentucky, a leader on connecticut, a leader on the committee. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Rise in strong opposition to h. R. 1. I want to thank mr. Neal for his tireless leadership, pointing out the trail of broken promises that are in this bill for middle class families who will pay dearl with higher costs for health care dearly, with higher costs for health care, Home Ownership and in meap cases federal taxes. Mr. Courtney i would like to zero in on the broken promise the bill represents to growing the u. S. Economy, which has a desperate shortage of skilled workers. The obliteration of student loan Interest Deduction, which will add 24 billion to the cost of higher education, the taxation of graduate students tuition waivers, 60 of which are concentrated in stem curriculum, and the elimination of taxfree employerfunded Tuition Assistance to enhance workplace skills often using apprenticeship programs moves this country in exactly the wrong direction to close the skills gap in our work force, which we all know, every member in this body has heard about from employers back home. Indeed, americas c. E. O. s told the president last february at a white house manufacturing summit, jobs exist, skills dont. In fact, the Trump Labor Department reported 6. 1 million job openings in the month of september, a near record high. Sadly this antigrowth tax bill robs american job seekers and employers of the tools to fill those jobs, ironically during National Apprenticeship week. Mr. Speaker, i urge the members of this body to vote no and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, proud to yield three minutes to one of the key members of our tax policy subcommittee, and champion for working men and women, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Meehan. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Meehan thank you, mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to urge my colleagues to take advantage of this historic opportunity that we have before us. As i travel across my district, i hear from families that are struggling to get ahead. I hear from families that cant make ends meet most months, they dont have a whole lot left over, in fact, 63 of American Families dont have 500 to handle an emergency. I hear from businesses that say theyd love to be able to hire, expand or buy that new piece of equipment, but they just dont have the cash to do it. Our tax code is taking too many dollars from pennsylvania and sending it to washington. Its sending goodpaying middle class jobs overseas and its holding our economy back and its making it harder for so many to get ahead. This is our chance to change the status quo. We have an opportunity to jumpstart our economy and let more hardworking families keep what they earn. We rewrite the tax code for american job workers, taking away incentives to send jobs overseas, to put more americans to work as businesses expand and invest here. American tax cuts for American Workers with american jobs. We give these Small Businesses a break. The mom and pop shops that employ pennsylvanians. We give entrepreneurs who have so much innovation and creativity a wider cushion to take a risk. Were putting more money in the pockets of hardworking families. Were doubling the standard deduction, which means that 94 of taxpayers wont need to itemize at all. Let me say that again. 94 of taxpayers wont even need to itemize at all. By expanding the Child Tax Credit and creating a new 300 credit for parents and independent children, we put an additional 1,800 in the pockets of every family of four. Thats money that they can use as they see fit. And weve streamlined the maze of education tax credits that included in my bipartisan bill apprenticeship programs that can now be made affordable. The taxpayers i hear from say they want to pay less in taxes, not more. If limiting some deductions and lowering your rates means your tax bill is lower at the end of the year, thats a good deal for taxpayers. We owe it to the hardworking tax paying families we represent to deliver that. And i urge my colleagues to support the tax cuts and jobs act. Mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. Mr. Neal thank you, mr. Speaker. All those projects in philadelphia that are about to come to an end with the abolition of the horriser to historic tax credit. With that i yield to the gentleman from california who is a c. P. A. And a tax attorney. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman voids. Is recognized. Mr. Sherman by 2027 roughly 1 3 of middle class families will be paying more in taxes and that average family will be paying 1,300 more. The personal exemption, worth 4,150 per person in the family, thats 21,000 for a family of five, they take it away. The moving expense deduction, if you have to move to keep your job, you dont get to deduct that. But if you move a factory to china, you get to deduct all the moving expenses. Student loan debt, they wont let you deduct it. As for the effect on simplicity, my home boys, my c. P. A. And tax law home boys are going to be rolling in big dollars. Because just from the provisions that define the difference between personal service income, passive income, active business income, the litigation and planning opportunities, talk about complexity, its all there. And my home boys love it. We concurrently deduct extraordinary medical expenses. Thats important to those with disabilities and families with children with special needs. They wipe it out. The extraordinary casualty loss deduction, they wipe out, very important to people who face floods and fires. They change the rule so we dont have adequate indexing for inflation, so everybodys pushed into a higher tax bracket by inflation, except those at the very top, they are protected. But look at the effect on our nations economy. This is a jobkilling, deficitexploding, growthreducing disaster. Look what happened to kansas. These policies have already devastated one of our states. Youre going to be to be taking 1. 5 trillion out of the money available for business investment. The federal government will come in and borrow all that money, leaving less money for factories, farms and homes. And as ron kind pointed out, theres an extra 800 billion of interest on top of that just the next 10 years. And keep in mind, this indemrees our debt is forever your grandchildren will be paying taxes on this debt. Look at the chart. We had the policies of ronald agan from 1988 when his 1986 law became effective, through 1993. And we had 2. 67 growth. In 1994 we got clinton tax policies, we exploded to over 4 annual growth. Then with george w. Bush, we dropped to 1. 1. 7 . Then when we adopted obama tax policies, which are in force today, were back up to 2. 2 Economic Growth. Which policies give you Economic Growth . Lets look internationally. They say if youd move the you can manufacture and pay zero percent odge the profits you on the profits you earn by a factory. But only if its a foreign factory. Finally, mr. Zandi, one of the Top Economists in the country, testified before a financialers are committee that this bill financial Services Committee that this bill means doubledigit declines in the value of homes in american metropolitan areas. What affect does that have on the zphe whos going to go out and spend in the middle class when theyre told that they are the equity in their home has been virtually wiped out . So you can vote against this bill because its unfair or you can vote against it because it would be a crushing weight on our economy. But dont engage in the fantasy that you can cut taxes and make it up through, quote, Economic Growth. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, under tax reform, california will grow 111,000 new jobs and paychecks increase by nearly 3,000. Im proud to yield three minutes to the gentlelady from south dakota, a champion of familyowned farms and businesses, mrs. Noem. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Mrs. Noem thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Today i rise in support of h. R. 1. The tax cuts and jobs act of 2017. We have worked hours, literally hundreds of hours, on this legislation. And i commend chairman brady and the staff of the ways and Means Committee for all of their hard work. Mr. Speaker, weve gone through this bill line by line. Ive personally fought for policies and ideas in this bill, to make sure it works for families. To make sure it increases wages. And creates more opportunity for folks all across america. And my goal in this was twofold. Number one, i wanted to strengthen families. Number two, i wanted to create a stronger future for america. This tax reform package puts us well on our way to achieving these goals and achieving some remarkable wins for the American People. I say this because this plan simplifies the tax code. It simplifies it to the point that most people can file their taxes on a form the size of a postcard. It also gives significantly lower rates. It dramatically expands the Child Tax Credit, it keeps the child care credit, and it protects flexible spending benefits. These provisions for working families were important to me. My home state of south dakota has the highest rate of working families in the nation. The moms and dads in my state arent working just for fun. Theyre working to pay the bills, to provide for their families. They need money to put food on the table. To put a roof on their kids heads. And these provisions are going to help them. Help them pay their bills, take care of their kids, go to work, and maybe, just maybe, get a little extra money that they can take their kids off for a weekend to do something fun together. Thats important. And when these kids grow up, i want them to be able to find good, highpaying jobs. So i fought hard to make sure that our farmers, our ranchers and our Small Businesses could thrive under this new tax code. And we got some pretty big wins for those folks. In this bill we fully and permanently repealed the death tax. That unamerican, unfair double tax. We give People Better expensing tools. We drive down the rate for Small Businesses. If were going to make sure that our kids can thrive, we need to create opportunities for them to make sure that they can do it right here in america. And this tax reform package lets hardworking job create doers that better. Mr. Speaker, i understand that no tax reform plan is going to be perfect in everybodys eyes. But this proposal is a strong step forward. It reflects real, sustainable policy changes that are going to let people keep more money in their pockets. Ive heard from many throughout this debate who have spoken up against these tax cuts and these reforms. People who trust the government with this money, more than they trust the American People. Mr. Speaker, i fundamentally disagree. The American People deserve more control over their paychecks. Theyve worked hard to earn that money. Theyve taken time away from their families to earn that money. They ought to be the ones deciding how, where and when to spend it. So for the purposes of strengthening families, and offering folks a stronger future here in america, i urge my colleagues to support h. R. 1. Thank you, mr. Speaker. With that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. The gentleman from texas reserves. The gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. Mr. Neal thank you, mr. Speaker. 38,000 south dakota households making less than 113,000 a year will see a tax increase under this legislation. With that id like to yield two minutes to the highly regarded gentleman from virginia, son of massachusetts, my friend, mr. Onnolly. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from virginia is recognized. Mr. Connolly i thank the speaker and i thank my good friend from massachusetts, mr. Neal. You can put all the lipstick you want on this pig, its still a pig. Lets be honest. This isnt tax reform. This is a cut on taxes, Corporate America, corporate friends and my friends on the other side of the aisle, and they had to squeeze all kind of things in to justify it and pay for it. And thats why you, the middle class, are going to suffer. Thats why your kids in college are going to start paying, losing their ability to deduct interest on Student Loans and theyre going to pay taxes on waived tuition when they get a teaching assistant or benefit from the university. Thats why your local municipalities are going to lose Tax Exemption for public activity bonds that fund tens of billions of dollars of public improvements all over the United States. Thats why 8. 8 million americans are going to lose the ability to deduct medical costs and good luck to families who have to put people in Nursing Homes for longterm care. Patients suffering dementia. How will they work that financing out . When they lose this deduction. And how will they feel when they know the reason theyre losing this deduction is to finance a Corporate Tax rate . And what about homeowners . Losing the ability to deduct mortgage interest or to have a it capped artificially so Corporate America can get the biggest tax cut in history. And oh, by the way, they get to continue to deduct state and local taxes and other kinds of financial interestrelated expenses. But not you. Not you, the middle class. It adds 1. 5 trillion, and thats with dynamic scoring. Dynamic scoring is another way of saying we cannot fudge the real number. Its more than that. At least 200 billion more than that. And i thought my friends on the other side of the aisle were fiscal hawks, dedicated to making sure we didnt have deficits. This is an inconsistent bill. This will harm middleclass america. I urge my colleagues to defeat this bill and lets start over in a bipartisan way. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. The gentleman from texas is recognized. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, constituents in virginia district 11, average household 136,000 with two kids will see a tax cut of 5,008. I am proud to introduce and yield two minutes to the gentleman from kentucky, mr. Barr. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. Mr. Barr thank you. I rise today to engage in a colloquy and i want to first commend chairman brady and the ways and Means Committee for their outstanding work on the tax cuts and jobs act which will provide tax relief to millions of hardworking families and businesses. Id like to address a small provision in the bill that inadvertently impacts a Small Private College in kentucky thats a member of the federally recognized work college core conn sosh yum. They dont charge their students tuition and also requires their students to hold jobs. For over 125 years, this college has fulfilled its mission of providing a uitionfree for students often First Generation College students. They pair the strong academics with student Labor Program honoring the dignity and utility of all work. They could not fulfill its unique mission of providing free tuition without a healthy endowment. This bill includes a excise tax over 500,000 per student. There are two federally recognized colleges, including one in my district. I am proud that the Senate Version exempts schools with 500 opportunities from the excise tax. I understand it was never the committees intent for this legislation to negatively impact work colleges that use their endowments to provide tuitionfree education. In fact, i understand the intended purpose of the excise tax is to encourage colleges to use their endowments to keep college down. In this case, this college defrays 100 of the cost of tuition. I thank the chairman for his willingness to work with me for solution in conference that exempts work colleges and allows them to continue their unique mission. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, i wish to thank the gentleman from kentucky for his leadership here. We will Work Together for a mutually accepted solution to make sure we exempt work colleges, to use their endowments to provide tuitionfree education. Mr. Barr i thank the gentleman. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from texas reserves. The gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. Mr. Neal mr. Speaker, id like to yield to the well regarded congresswoman from california, barbara lee, a champion of middle income people. Ms. Lee first, let me thank our Ranking Member for yielding and also your tremendous leadership in the ways and Means Committee in terms of our Ranking Member and for really telling the truth. I rise in strong opposition to this bill, h. R. 1, which really is a tax scam. Republicans are really trying to pull a fast one on the American People. This bill would steal from the hardearned paychecks of millions of middleincome families to line the pockets of billionaires and corporations. In fact, 80 of the tax breaks will go to the top 1 . It also eliminates student loan deductions and erad indicates medical expense deductions. And now if this isnt cruel enough, this bill makes it easier for corporations to ship jobs overseas. People will actually lose their jobs. This tax plan does nothing to create better jobs or better wages or a Better Future for the middle class. It does just the opposite. Now, in my home state of california, one in five middleincome families will see a tax hike next year, and the state and local Tax Deduction will be particularly hard on my state where 6. 1 million households will see a tax increase. Public sector jobs like firefighters will lose their jobs. Not to mention the Vital Services our most vulnerable will need. These will be cut. This bill really is a disgrace. Stealing from families who need help the most to give to more donors, millionaires and billionaires and corporations. This is really a new low. 36 million middleincome households, working families will pay more in taxes. So we cant forget, also, that this tax scam sets the stage really for a heartless 1. 5 trillion cut to medicare and medicaid as we saw in the republican budget. So we need to reject this meanspirited tax scam and vote no and come back and look at how we can support middleincome families, working families so everyone has a chance and an opportunity at the american dream. Thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from texas is recognized. The gentleman from massachusetts reserves. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, id note that constituents in the california 13th district, a median family of 407,000, will see a tax cut of 2,589. I am proud to yield five minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia, mr. Mckinley. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from West Virginia is recognized. Mr. Mckinley to discuss the Historic Preservation tax credits that have historically stimulated nearly 150 billion in private sector investment. As weve discussed over the last month, the tax credit is critically important for Economic Development and revitalization, especially in small rural areas of this country. Without the credit, projects that transport communities in all 50 states from West Virginia to texas to wisconsin simply will not happen. Mr. Chairman, your word means something to me. So im asking for your commitment to continue working with me to ensure that the federal historic tax credit is preserved in the final tax reform package . And i yield back to the chairman. Mr. Brady thank you, mr. Mckinley. Youre passionate making sure our smaller communities can be revitalized and grow and about the role the Historic Preservation tax credit. In doing that i commit to working with you and continuing to work with you on this issue because i know the importance of it. I yield back. Mr. Mckinley thank you, mr. Chairman. I look forward to working with you as well. We had a good working relationship over the years. Mr. Brady yes, sir. Mr. Mckinley and i want to continue this process, as i understand this process, and i will be voting to continue the process in anticipation that it will be in the final bill. Mr. Brady yes, sir. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from texas reserves. The gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. Mr. Neal thank you very much, mr. Speaker. Id like to yield two minutes to the very capable gentlelady from massachusetts, a valued member of our delegation, congresswoman katherine clark. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from massachusetts is recognized. Pardon. Ms. Clark thank you, mr. Speaker. I thank our Ranking Member for yielding and for your incredible work on this bill. We were promised tax reform, but thats not what were seeing in this bill. In fact, you dont have to dig far into this 429page bill to see that its a con, a cynical bait and switch for families at home. And when this bill was released just two weeks ago, i started getting calls from families at home wanting to know how it would affect them. So we dug into it, and i want to share just a few of those examples, but it didnt take long to see why it was developed in secret and why its being rushed to a vote. On page 254, republicans propose getting rid of a program that helps veterans find work when they come home. 300,000 veterans have been helped by the work opportunity tax credit. The repeal of this provision to reduce taxes for the very wealthiest is a coldhearted way to say thank you for your service. On page 113, this tax scam sends a bill to nine million households who have extremely high medical costs. Tax breaks for billionaires are expensive. We get that. And under this plan, americans who live in Nursing Homes, have a sick child, have a high medical cost, will foot the bill. On pages 95 and 97, students get added to last of americans who will be forced to pay for the g. O. P. Tax breaks for corporations. They will see increase in debt and taxes. This bill says, good luck, students, building an economy that will not only allow you to pay off the 1. 3 trillion of existing student debt but will add 2. 3 trillion in deficit. This bill created for you. Just yesterday, the president s chief economic strategist was surprised when the c. E. O. s gathered, admitted they would not be investing their tax cuts in jobs and wages. He shouldnt have been. Mr. Neal i yield 30 seconds. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized has another 30 seconds. Ms. Clark he should not have been surprised. Corporations are already sitting on record amounts of cash. While generations of hardworking americans have had to pay for tax experiments like this. Based on disproven economic theories. Lets not repeat the mistakes of the past. Lets reject this bill and Work Together to create a bipartisan tax reform that is fair and benefits all families. The speaker pro tempore the gentleladys time has expired. The gentleman from massachusetts reserves. The gentleman from texas is recognized. Mr. Brady mr. Speaker, the tax cuts and jobs act in the Fifth District of massachusetts, that median household of four with 143,000 will see a tax cut of 5,208. Im proud to yield three minutes to one of our key leaders on tax reform on the ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from new york, my friend, mr. Reed. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Reed well, thank you, mr. Speaker. And i thank the chairman for all his hard work in putting this bill together. Mr. Speaker, this bill has been in the process for over seven years in regards to the time i spent on the committee. There have been multiple hearings on the issue of tax reform. Well over 40plus. There have been hours upon hours of debate. There was efforts done by our former chairman, dave camp, and i know my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have recognized during our Committee Markup process the hard work that chairman camp did by rewriting the entire code from the bottom up. These issues have been out there for the American People and for the people from across the country to look at, to digest and now is the time to rise in support of this legislation, mr. Speaker. Because what we have before you is a new tax code for the 21st century. Mr. Speaker, we have a tax code thats going to for once in 31 years put corporations on the multinational level across the world in a Competitive Position by lowering the rates and getting to a 21st taxing program on a territorial basis. But more importantly, mr. Speaker, we deliver tax relief and i know other folks on the other side arent going to agree with this because they are going to say this is a tax for the rich. This is a tax code tax reform for the rich and the almighty 1 . But mr. Speaker, ive done the math. Ive looked at this bill inside and out and it delivers the simplified code for 1,600 is left in the pockets of my constituents in western new york. Thats 1,600 that they earned that the government wont have to take from them any more. 1,600, mr. Speaker, that will allow them as Senior Citizens to go visit their grandkids in the south because new york state has driven them out of new york state with its high tax policies at the state capital. Thats 1,600. Maybe they can go on a trip with their family and experience a little relaxation because of the hard work that generated those moneys and those dollars in their pockets. Mr. Speaker, these are the eople that we represent, the perrys. Mr. And mrs. Perry are hardworking people of western new york and those are their two beautiful children and what this is going to allow th