Passage of the plan as the end of the world, armageddon, the economy is responding incredibly well to the changes that we made in the tax code. I phropbg believed our economy struggled under the weight of an outdated tax system. Now businesses are beginning to do the math and are realizing that the tax cuts and jobs act will mean more savings. As a result, many have announced that they are passing some of these savings on to their employees who will now be seeking to grow and expand operations. As of today more than 350 companies have announced pay raises, bonuses, and or 401 k increases benefiting over four million americans. According to a recent National Federation of independent business survey, 32 of Small Businesses believe now is a good time to expand, the highest level ever recorded by this survey. This is happening across the country and in arkansas. Here are just a few examples of the companies headquartered in the in arkansas with a sizable presence in the state passing along savings to their employees through wage increases, bonuses, and other benefits, or giving to charity and or making investments to grow their businesses and better serve customers. Bancorp south bank is giving pay increases and or onetime bonuses to nearly all noncommissioned employees. The investment of over 10 million in 2018 will benefit 96 of the companys noncommissioned workforce. Pay increases were effective as of january 1, 2018. Home bank shares, inc. Of conway arkansas is distributing a onetime bonus of 500 for more than 850 fulltime tenured employees. Home bank shares chairman johnny alson said, investing in these individuals is an important to help support them, their families and the communities in which we operate. Peoples bank of magnolia, arkansas, provided a 500 bonus to employees and contributed 50,000 to its charitable endowment. Little rock, arkansas based bank of the ozarks is giving up to 1,200 annual bonuses, approximately 2,300 employees will be eligible under the plan. Walmart whose headquarters is located in arkansas is an Economic Force not only in our state but nationwide is increase starting hourly wages to 11,ing expanding maternity and parental leave benefits and providing onetime cash bonuses of up to 1,000. Its also creating a new benefit to assist associates with adoption expenses. Regions bank is increasing its minimum wage to 15 an hour contributing 40 million to the companys Charitable Foundation and increasing the companys Capital Expenditures budget by approximately 100 million or 50 over the 2017 level. Spring dale, arkansas, home to tyson foods headquarters, the Company Recently announced it is giving bonuses to more than 100,000 employees whose compensation does not include an annual bonus. Eligible fulltime team members will receive 1,000 in eligible parttime team members will receive 500. In addition, tyson will use savings resulting from tax reform to improve training and Education Opportunities for employees, including teaching english as a second language, and general education developmental classes. And it will also be accelerating capital projects. Fedex whose freight headquarters is located in arkansas and which employs over 3,500 arkansans is investing more than 3 p. 2 billion in growing its business including raising wages and investing 1. 5 million in pension plans. Ups is investing 12 billion to expand the companys Smart Logistics Network and made a 5 billion tax qualified contribution to the companys three ups sponsored u. S. Pension plans. This represents about 13,000 per participant. The company has more than 2,200 active employees in arkansas. And in addition to around 390 retirees who reside in the state. The numbers speak for themselves. Clearly when washington helps to create an environment that makes businesses more globally competitive, it benefits arkansas and it benefits the entire country. The law is already helping hardworking arkansans keep more of their money in their own pockets by nearly doubling the standard deduction, lowering rates and eliminating loopholes and creating a climate that incentivizes business to boost wages and give employees bonuses as a result of the reduction of Corporate Tax rate, the tax cuts job act is providing muchneeded relief to arkansans. Additionally, our governor, assa hatch son, instructed the Service Provision to examine how new lower tax rates will benefit utility providers in arkansas. Governor hutchnison is encouraging them to pass savings to ratepayers which could mean possible lower utility rates for those in the state. Thats not all arkansasbased Companies Like arkansas heart best, murphy u. S. A. , are already reaping the benefits of the new tax system with higher revenues and incomes. This is only the beginning. I believe that we will continue to see positive trends and reactions to the tax law that will help grow our economy and spur even more investment in arkansas and across the country. One provision included in the law that i believe can have an enormous impact on average arkansans is a new incentive for employers to offer paid family leave benefit to their employees. Now employers can offer 12 weeks of paid tax leave. Senator fischer fought to get this idea included in the bill. Thanks to her vision and perseverance, families in arkansas and across the country that must need access to this type of benefit will now have that chance. This is just one more example of tax reform delivering results that will help the middle class. Mr. President , i want to reiterate how well tax reform is working for my state. We are seeing growth, higher wages, and other positive benefits. Employees are getting bigger paychecks and businesses are investing in the workforces and expanding their operations. Thats not promise. Its not armageddon. It isnt an attack on working americans. Its opportunity. Its upward mobility and what americans deserve. Im proud to have cast my vote for tax reform. Learning about it, how it helps our economy and benefiting American Families just confirms what we predicted would happen if we made american businesses more competitive and let average individuals and families keep more of what they earned. Moving forward, im committed to ensuring the changes we made to the tax code help increase Economic Activity and spur growth, address our National Debt and create jobs. Im confident that well have a lasting, positive effect on our economy. With that, mr. President , i yield back. Mr. Boozman mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from arkansas. Mr. Boozman i ask unanimous consent the senate resume legislative session season for a period of morning business with senators sperplted to speak for up permitted to speak for up to ten minutes each. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Boozman i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h. Con. Res. 103 which was received from the house. The presiding officer the clerk will report. Cloys the clerk h. Con. Res. 103 authorizing the use of emancipation hall as part of the celebration of days of remembrance for the victims of the holocaust. The presiding officer without objection the senate can proceed to the measure. Mr. Boozman i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Boozman mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h. Con. Res. 107 which was received from the house. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk h. Con. Res. 107 authorizing reverend billy graham to lie in honor in the rotunda of the capitol. The presiding officer without objection the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Boozman i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Boozman mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its Business Today it adjourn until 10 00 a. M. Tuesday, february 27. Further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders to be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed. I further ask that the following leader remarks i further ask that following leader remarks the senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the branch nomination. Finally that the senates recess from 12 30 and 2 15 and all time during recess, adjournment, morning business and leader remarks count postcloture on the branch nomination. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Boozman if there is no further business to come before the senate i ask it stand adjourned under the previous order. The presiding officer the Senate Stands adjourned until 10 00 a. M. Tomorrow. By dictators orw. Terrorists. Or by dark political money to undermine democracy and we have got to address this problem thank you so much. Welcome back. Finally speaking to the current state of politics and society and i am pleased to begin with senator warner from virginia. 2002 through 2006 serving as governor when he left Office Estate was ranked as the best for business the best managed and the best receiver public education. He has distinguished himself as a leader working with colleagues from both parties on behalf of his state and everyone in our country. Finance banking budget and rules committee and vice chairman of the select Community One committee on intelligence senator warren is with us today please help me to welcome him. [applause] thank you for the introduction and the great work you do in new orleans and your families longterm contribution contributions. I got started in politics indirectly in the 80s so to see the Amazing Things you have done it is an honor to be here with you. Also a shout out to any remaining virginia mayors. Let me realize i had sat more sessions and Senate Sessions while winding down so presume i know everybody in the room to get to the meat of my message. [laughter] i know this isnt the subject of your conversations last couple days obviously cities are continuing to face challenges and opportunities. This isnt exactly a newsflash but those who work at the federal level have been dysfunctional over the last few years and candidly the last few weeks that dysfunction does not seem to be decreasing. As a governor to see the level of dysfunction that takes place at the National Level is created into many state governments as well. The one spot i would argue is in the urban areas it really is a renaissance. The truth is that you know better than i that americans know that and are voting with their feet 60 of all americans now live in cities 80 live in urban areas. Every expectation i have seen shows demographic changes are only going to increase in one of those responsibilities is we have a lot to learn from you about delivering government efficiently there is another amazing statistic as well to say there is a total of 3100 counties or cities here is the stunning statistic between 2005 and 2015 literally 2100 of those jurisdictions across america lost jobs and lost businesses. Two thirds of america have seen a decrease through Employment Opportunities in their communities disappear. Only 1043 jurisdictions saw an increase in businesses and jobs. And the vast majority took place in the community so this disparity may grow son is about education but a lot of that comes down to a fundamental understanding of the economy and will and economy over the last few years we have wrestled anymore visceral way but what is work and what will the economy look like in the next decade . I know you deal with Technology Changes and Artificial Intelligence the panel later today will talk about some of these transitions and quite honestly if you get caught up in the one point happened it lead to a pretty dark space. The most positive report i have seen recently was done by the mckinsey report that by 2030 the United States of america will still have a significant net increase in jobs. All jobs will not be destroyed by driverless cars. But also what came through was that literally one third of all americans either have to change their jobs or change or significantly alter their skill set if we make sure to take it vantage of this opportunity coming about by 2030. I would argue, what is causing all of the political angst . The fraying of our social institutions . Not about democrats most people on my side say a lot of that angst is driven by income inequality. I agree that is a major challenge to see that and so many more visceral ways. But i would argue for income inequality with the mckinsey report with the income and security and that insecurity is coming from that changing nature. What should we do . Try to offer you two areas where we should spend some time comes the responsibility and to revise the social contract but in the 30s and 40s the partnership with business and labor and government we will take care of those folks of benefits. And unfortunately and disproportionately it is fraying that they get the short end of the stick we need to recognize that traditional experience and i will come back to this in a moment has to be altered to recognize the dramatic change. I spent longer in the business sector than i have in politics i was lucky to be an entrepreneur doing pretty well with cell phones. The Company Called nextel the only politician who said even when i am speaking leave your cell phones on that does not believe bother me. But the 21st century in america that is not working for enough people now we have incentives to favor investment of 20th century assets over the context of what they should focus on with investment of human beings as well. Let me come back to spend a couple moments on each of those topics. Many of us in this room many of us work in a single job of 30 years. Serving in world war ii as a marine never finish college and going to work working at a Single Company 40 years he never made a lot of money but he had job security and benefits with health and retirement and while we were never rich we never worried about the next meal or for we could pay the rent. And he had a Retirement Plan with things like unemployment or disability. We have a different system where the contract is altered. Pensions and 4o1 kays mom 4o1k and that contract even to the baby boomer. But now we are in the midst of significant changes in the workforce. The millennials have arrived, 83 million strong actually they are the majority of the countrys workforce. If you ask most millennials and i asked my kids and they talk to their friends they dont ask where do you work. They ask what are you working on . That is a totally different mindset than most of us grew up with. Meanwhile social insurance like healthcare and retirement and unemployment, disability, all of those benefits created in the 20th century in the 30s and 40s we are the only industrial country in the world that still makes all those benefits contingent upon a fulltime traditional w2 employee. Yet the whole nature of work is changing. And today in 2018, not a future date where literally one third of all jobs will change but today in 2018 if if you take nothing else today remember this, one third of the American Workforce today is working with some level of contingent work. There time contractors, gig workers, entrepreneurs but not in the traditional Work Environment that my dad or frankly most of your parents are many of you in your career. And the fact is you know this better than most of us here in washington. You see that and try to support and i know we do as a sponsor as this conference. With your interactions you try to wrestle with those challenges around ridesharing or startups by others with the new notion of four how manifests itself like airbnb. Any projection will show one third of the workforce contingent today moving to over 50 of the the American Workers by 2025 is nontraditional fulltime permanent employment. Now to get this right, one of the most important responsibilities is to rethink the social contract. The area to do the most forward leaning thinking is the benefit system. That means every american starting with the first job at 16 and be able to collect a benefit and move those as they move from job to job to allow that social safety net to follow them. What that looks like i dont know does that have to be run by government . I dont know frankly a lot of that structure can be carried on the cell phone with you but we have to try experimentation. And where this will take place. At the federal level i have a bipartisan bill to create a portable benefit Pilot Program to support those nonprofits with this experimentation but the truth is we already see this last year in Washington State there was a bill put forward in the legislature to create an affordable benefit system a couple days ago the scei you created a first step to creating affordable benefit system for their drivers and now trying to take the fund over three years moving it to ridesharing companies. So with that experimentation nowhere does it take place more and second we need to look at the whole notion of how we deal with investments in human capital. The truth is even if we get this right and allow people to move from job to job and have benefits that travel we will not be fully adequate if we dont recognize that the one third of the American Workforce needs to change jobs or skills before 2030 if we dont have those incentives. That means we need to have a real conversation about american capitalism. 20th century capitalism also assume the role of government and the role of education was to help prepare someone for the first job. Once you get the first job weather on the line or working in a corporate environment it became the responsibility of the company to continue to upscale you through your career. Well nobodys going to work for the same job over their whole career. If you look at millennials theyre constantly wanting to change careers and try different items. Then that approach are not going to work on the 21st century. The truth is, we have a tax code that doesnt do anything to support it. We missed a huge opportunity with the tax reform that was passed in december to realize incentives. We couldve ended up doing repatriation and having a requirement to put profits back and put training of programs in place for those who make 80000 or less per year. What we need to do is think at the federal and state level of how we align incentives to invest in human capital. It would take the r d tax credit model and use that r d tax credit model and provide the same tax credit, not Tax Deduction of meaningful investment of low and moderate income workers who make less than 80000 per year. Unless vincent that the right way we wont have a workforce truly prepared for the 21st century. Let me close it up with this, if we are going to get this right, we are going to need a change the frame of our political debate. If we think about portable benefits, im not sure if thats a democrat or republican idea. If we think about changing our tax code to recognize that we ought to treat investment in human being and give that the same favorable tax treatment if we invest in research or a piece of equipment, im not sure if that is left or right. I would argue the politics of the 21st century a lot less to do about liberal versus conservative are left versus right. Much more to do with future versus past. I cannot think of anywhere the rubber hits the road more than in our nation cities. My hope is that you will continue their leadership on those who think theres some ideas who contribute at the federal level that you will look for ways we can partner whether its around portable benefits or around the 21st century infrastructure plan and how we get that done, there are those of us in both Political Parties that want to get the job done rather than blaming each other. I look forward to working with you. Thank you for having me. [applause] i want to thank you. The entire day today we have spent talking about how to create jobs and how to put americans back to work. I think you are completely moved by how nontraditional the discussion has been today. We heard from adam, and israeli immigrant coming to america to create thousands of jobs with the new concept of how to put people back to work. Steve case started aol i talked about how to pay for and finance it. They told you the world is changing so dramatically that we have to change with it and we need to invest in human capital. Of course the only place in america where that can take place is between and amongst mayors who can go back and say the world is changing but we want to be in front of it not behind it. And its not republican versus democrat but the past and to do things, we can see it are ready because we are on the front lines. Now we have to go testify to it. I think the next panel will be a wonderful way for us to finish. I want to introduce our sponso sponsors, director of Business Affairs and social impacts experiences at air b b for the global network. She is responsible for air b bs global this emerges travelers and local communities and raises awareness for local nonprofits. [applause] thank you so much for having me. To start bandages in you to my dad, larry my brother, angus. Six years ago i told them i was joining a small startup called air b b. When i explained it was for locals to open their homes to strangers and travelers looking for place to say they were laughing, that was a crazy idea. Six years later ran over 191 countries over 4 million homes across 65000 cities. At the end of last year the number of guests who stayed at air b b reach 216 million guests. My dad, now a retirees welcoming guests from all over and earning valuable income. The average u. S. Home host about 42 days per year. They are in approximately 7200. 71 are sharing their primary homes, the homes they live in. 54 have said it helped keep their home and stay in their home. If you look at this map youll see the green dots the red dots are the homes on air b b. Theyre spread across the four quadrants. This illustrates the Economic Impact this is having on neighborhoods that dont traditionally benefit from tourism. Another example is rio. In 2016 we parting with the city when theyre hosting the olympic games. 85000 guests stayed in homes across rio and 30 million in host earnings were earned by locals. Have those guests needed to stay in hotels it would have required the construction of 257 hotels. When the travelers go to the city it generates tax revenue for cities. Last year air b b collected over 459 million in occupancy tax in the u. S. Cities are using them for important critical local causes. What we have seen with travelers looking to stay in homes on air b b, theyre looking for authentic connections. To connect with locals and experience the city through the eyes of locals. In 2016 we launched air b b experience. Now you dont even need a home to host. You can host by sharing your passions and interests to an audience. Via cooking with the new york chef, salsa dancing urban gardening, these are experiences led by Small Businesses, new entrepreneurs and community nonprofits. Air b b waives its fee for nonprofits and 100 goes to benefit the local nonprofits. So locals can now become entrepreneurs generate Supplementary Income from neighborhoods that dont typically benefit from tourism. We now have over 4000 experiences across cities and im proud to say over 60 are women. [applause] let me introduce you to those women now. When people come through the doors there walking into a hundredyearold thats full of music and people. And its men experience. We have Music Masters there b b experience gives us an opportunity to share music with people from all over the world. What happens here is something we want to make sure by grew up in harlem and has a passion for gospel and jazz and now she is sharing it with millions of people around the world. A time when jobs are being replaced by robots and automation, were investing in people. In just one year our top 20 of host earning 22000 a year. This year we plan to expand to over 200 u. S. Cities and will invest 5 million to make that happen. We cant do it without all of you. We love to hear from you. If you like to be one of the cities please contact us. Have a booth and a team and will be at the summer meeting in boston and will share exciting experiences with you then. We look forward to partnering with you on the future of travel. Thank you. [applause] next la managers j. P. Morgan and Chase Companies Vice President. The firms 150 million commitment to detroit in the Global Cities initiative. Thank you for being with us. [applause] thank you. It is a pleasure to be here. Thank you to the u. S. Congress of mayors. You have been great partners and leaders, just in new orleans for the executive leaders meeting. As the mayor mentions, part of Corporate Responsibility group that shape the morgan chase. Its a city strategy that is new. Ive been at this job about a year and half. Spaced on a lot of great work that j. P. Morgan chase has been doing through our foundation from a really long time. I dont have to tell you that cities are key drivers of Economic Growth. The senator mentioned it. 80 of people live in urban areas. This is where challenges are their most acute. Whether income disparity, job growth, housing, public safety, these are all it touching down in cities and you are on the front line. We have come to recognize that these require comprehensive approach. Government connect to it alone. You drive incredible change but requires partnership with private sector and business community, nonprofits and foundations. J. P. Morgan believes that it has in it responsibility to invest in the communities we serve and to help cities with these issues. As more people are being left behind we need to Work Together to address these challenges. Economic growth and social equity are not mutually exclusive. I j. P. Morgan as we think about how we approach Corporate Responsibility, we take a, prehensile and strategic approach. Were global firm with global reach. We want to bring all the resources to bear in your cities. We know that driving economic and the growth covers a wide spectrum of issues. We focus on four of those key drivers, Workforce Development which weve heard about today, Financial Health individual Financial Health, Small Business expansion and community development. So we brought in experts some of you may have participated in a panel this week was written with your former colleague and hud secretary in the urban land institute. Its not just about the philanthropic capital although we know its important its about leveraging our core businesses leveraging the expertise of our people were talking about marketing and hr and bringing them into nonprofit buildout capacity. We have to investing Community Organizations to drive longterm success. The means making sure capital is reinvested so that its not just our dollars but it continues and we create a cycle of prosperity. We have just rolled out similar strategies in chicago and washington, d. C. I would say that we did not going to detroit and say we had a hundred 50 million but we spent realtime in the city figuring out the challenges and talking to partners on the ground and figuring out how to target investments. The same is true in other places. Mayor duggan was a big decision and how we invest. J. P. Morgan chase we have incredible investments across the city but how do we bring those together to have more impact and how do we bring others to the table to say this is the right thing to do and we should be investing together parting across the public and private sector, nonprofit and foundation. As we think about where we have significant investment, were going to be expanding our business in a number of cities and how it can help really drive equity and make sure there isnt a difference between Economic Growth and social equity. Thank you. [applause] one of the silverlining so there is one, theres many of the current level of chaos is a growing desire for the new ideologies that force collaboration compromise. For some of us that seems far off was there solutions that can unite us as a country. Nice introduced to the new center thought it would make a great panel to close out this winter meeting. Our conference is a shining example of bipartisanship. Im pleased to introduce to mayors were been strong and forceful advocates for jeddah and work closely with all mayors to push our agenda forward. Thank you for a great and substantial meeting. Like mayors to the cities every day we have covered a broad and diverse number of topics we did it around the table with our colleagues focused on solutions and the people we serve. I hope the examples will rub off and im certain discussions with partners will help us make our case there are more areas of agreement we talk and listen to each other. I urge everyone to review the book at your table consider it a resource as we can continue to seek Common Source resources to make her city stronger. Thank you for your leadership. Youre doing a great job its been a great conference for continuing tonight our conference the same way you have united new orleans in our country during tough times. Aristotle said the main the virtue is the mean between two extreme points of view. I think we believe that and understand rather than getting caught up in political currents or to look at how divergent views are wrong mayors try to find Common Ground as we have seen lately and try to be the Reasonable Voice of national politics. The new center you will hear from by bill kristol and bill of the brooklyns institute, people who did not think they would come together offer a new view of policy proposals that can bring us together in our cities and country. Im a passionate radical centrists. A member of an Organization Called no labels, as democrats and republicans. I went to the event got to see one of their sessions without there is no better audience than for mayors that believe this. Itll be moderated by evan wright, executive Vice President of axioms who many know from work as a public liaison for Vice President biden at axis evan is leading the team that delivers news in a way that breaks through the noise and misinformation that give people trustworthy and accessible content. This is an intelligent lunch. Were going to take it to the next level. Thank you. [applause] thank you so much. Thank you for the introduction and thank you for hosting us today. From tom who i used to see a mild life im thrilled to be here with you what an audience full of mayors who have to be on the frontlines every day and govern. Thats why were thrilled to have the two bills with us. The first question i have, the new center the two of you from opposite sides of the aisle wanna into the white house veteran not the natural to people you would see working together came together in the wake of last years election tell us about the first conversation and who approach to and what happened . Thanks for having us and im very impressed by mayor rollins quoting aristotle. The last time i heard aristotle mentioned was when i was chatting with donald trump the other day. A word we had not heard. I apologize we do a panel every two years but we like our analysis onesided and talking afterwards it turned out our concerns for the country in this new moment cited more than have in the past. We are not have been more cordial agreement. We decided it was worth having this project doesnt claim to be original thinking. But theres some virtue bill had been a democrat for the same amount of time and working together improving it could be done. Think its important what you do in the example you set. One can hope that washington will follow your model, i wont but a huge amount on that but all the more important to citizens to see examples of serious and hopefully successful governance dental civility into an honest attempt to have debate Public Policy issues resolved, to be serious about implementing them, avoiding demagoguery and inciting anger and resentment and hatred. Its a serious matter. I was on a cable tv show and they were lamenting what had happened and there are two or three days when will his staff get him to Say Something better or john kelly persuade him finally said trump will be trump honestly, there are leaders in this country, theres the governor of virginia senators in our case, jerry mcauliffe, republican others did step forward to provide a model for citizens that was useful. I wish you good luck in your efforts to work with washington but honestly what you do on the ground regardless of what happens is important. Class the new centers then representing what the country is hoping is that youll see more working across the aisle and the city. With the new center exist hennepin Hillary Clinton presidency . Thats interesting i think the answer is yes, the problem were trying to deal with was before the election for a long time. We have been building toward this moment for the better part of two decades now. People have been writing about it so this is not a new problem, what is new is bill and i have been playing political tennis for 30 years after 2016 we realize someone had moved to the net. I may just pick off or pick up where bill left off because its important to say that one of the people who step forward during this difficult time after charlottesville was the mayor of new orleans, he did us all proud and we notice that mayor, thank you very much. [applause] i should also say very much the spirit that bill just spoke that it is a pleasure to be talking with a group of people who take responsibility of what they do in the results. Believe me if that measure of responsibility was as intense in washington d. C. As it is in your cities we might not have to have these conversations. Why are we having these conversations . The answer is that the federal government, senator warren set it out to be a good partner with you how can it be a good partner for cant do anything . We have been polarized for a long time and the American People are not entirely innocent but they are not nearly as polarized as the Political Parties in washington, d. C. Theres a survey few months ago that showed three times as Many Americans regardless of party prefer compromise to get things done over standing on principle. So then the question is, without abandoning what you care most about can you nice in the name of solving peoples problems. The whole point is, yes you can. This group works toward solutions and cannot afford to have that hyperpolarization. Two people sitting on stage, what would your advice be to mayors who come here to advance the agenda in this climate on capitol hill and the administration. Have a good time in washington. Where fine restaurants one of the puzzling things that has happened a huge concentration of power toward leadership on the hill and polarization between the parties. One of the effects is the congressman and senators show up they would show up and take an interest in certain issues either from certain committees or states or districts had issues close to home and see what they could do to improve policy in those areas. Sometimes it was partisan and sometimes bipartisan. They would try to advance legislation. Eventually you had to get the blessing of the white house probably. You work the system. I noticed how much less of that there seems to be. People are intimidated and are told to rubberstamp what leadership wants, they just cast votes against leadership. The notion that your congressman and senators should get together in advance something and it doesnt have to be massive healthcare, you can do discrete things that help situations. For some reason members of congress have lost sight of that. I would try to corner my congressman essay what you see what you can do. Maybe leadership will get on board and it has happened that legislation gets passed over the rejection of the white house. I agree. Let me just add my own word of advice. This is a difficult environment, so to be effective youll have to pick your spots carefully, try to achieve maximum unity in your own ranks and then figure out what the grain of the possible is, where can you go so you have a chance of making progress if you look at Public Opinion surveys of what American People care about what the agenda should be there are differences between democratic partisans in the Largest Group of all, independence but theres one area there is no disagreement whatsoever that is that our country is crumbling around our ears and its time to do what we havent done enough of him that is, invest in the physical infrastructure of the country. Everybody in america believes it because they can see it and guess what, the president campaigned in 2016 on a promise to increase infrastructure investment. Its not a popular promise with everybody in his own party but he keeps teasing us with the promise his administration will come up with a plan to make a public. I take him at his word. Sometime in the next four weeks youll have an infrastructure proposal from the white house. I suspect you will like some parts you will not like other parts. If there is ever a time to get together around and issued that can make a big difference every new the broken partnership between the government and the states it would be around this issue, this issue, this year, right here. We want to get to our mayors here i think we have microphones so these are open questions to mayors and please introduce yourself and your city any questions. The first question is always the hardest. It seems obvious to every mayor that infrastructure is the number one issue in that there is Common Ground in america. Its clear with the deficit everything is crumbling if you want to compete internationally you have to fix it. Why is it taken so long for congress to look at that issue and taking meaningful step forward and where do you think this debate will go from the initial offer . It depends on what the initial offer is we dont know. Weve heard everything from 200 billion to 1 trillion. But the central problem this will not surprise anyone in this room, who will pay for it and how will be paid for their policy architectures and as an architectural matter we could get ts quickly. A substantial portion has been financed to the gas tax. Last time that was increased was almost one quarter of a century ago. Because of disagreements among states urban as opposed to rule states has been very difficult to organize a majority in washington around the gas tax. Another possibility discussed was that money repatriated into the United States when the tax code was changed to deal with overseas assets and some of that money would be used to Fund Infrastructure investment unfortunately that money has been dedicated to other purposes. Now the question is, with a large federal deficit made larger by the tax bill and with no prospects of a gas tax increase wheres the money going to come from . If we can solve that problem we can unlock the legislative puzzle. You have been an intellectual leader in the conservative movement in america for some time, Congress Just passed a 1. 5 trillion tax cut because it will create Economic Growth. Thats what the argument was. Can you make a conservative case for increasing the gas tax in order to invest in infrastructure to produce Economic Growth . Yes. Making a conservative case for the carbon tax for example which would address concerns about climate change, Global Warming especially from a conservative point of view some tax cuts may be targeted towards less welloff nonamericans. Its amazing and how this tax to be no once interested in cutting the tax that affects most americans the most which is the payroll tax. Its a flat out tax on labor. Attack urges you to invest in machines and human capital. Its a bad sign Neither Party at the federal level has had great interest in thinking about ways to relieve that tax on workingclass americans. The only thing i would add, infrastructure is a big word that covers the number of programs 70s are probably more urgent than others might be a good idea to talk and say this is what i needed my city, some things are not fallen apart. You have obama stimulus a lot of it was infrastructure, the airport was small and congested and i flew in two days ago and it look like a big modern airport with excess capacity. Im not an expert on it but i think a lot of it went to midsize Regional Airports you get the sense that a lot of them are fine and have some excess capacity. Maybe you need the money for x and not the why. It hurts to just say infrastructure but to have someone on the outside to say a more concrete example of what the money would go for doesnt seem like we been shy on building new sports stadiums in this country summit financed by taxpayers and some not. Maybe theres more money going to that or maybe that money is well invested but be more specific on the examples might be a good idea. Inclusive growth is a premise in your book, this sounds like a progressive thought, how did you get passionate around inclusive growth what does that mean from a conservative fiscal point of view . Its not good for the country. One of aristotles core teaching is a strong middleclass huge disparities of income. Its one thing with willie think of third world countries they often have super wealthy elites often inherited money and little opportunity at the bottom. Im not concerned about the inequality as the inequality side of it. I do think there are technological changes another thanks which probably make it harder than it was 50 years ago to construct economic policies that do help those have as good of opportunities is conservative to have that as a goal. The mean approach that goal might be for me breaking up schools are providing more choice and competition things that are more traditional policies with their publicsector impediments for those who start off in a difficult situation. May we can argue which would help the most then making it hard for people to move to places where theres opportunities for growth it doesnt help them and you want cheap housing where theres going to be startup businesses just dont want the stanford graduates to start at the hightech company to afford and the kids from others not be able to live or get on the ladder. So there policies that can be debated its a conservative goal to want strong opportunities a mobility of the strong middleclass. Weve been talking about political unity and its hard to have political unity in the face of deep economic division. Its not just class division, its geographical division. As the structure of the vote in the president ial election make clear its not healthy for cities in the country to have a political divide between the city and countryside. Thats what we have now. I was pleased as a booking scholar that senator order signed a brick in statistics about the breakdown of the relationship between cities and rural areas and the concentration of Economic Opportunities in pure places. Many of these are your places not thrilled. But for the other 2600 counties that are languishing, we are turning into two americas. And that is not good for either america. We have to think very hard about the inclusion, not just of excluded people but excluded places in the opportunity that are to be america. Thats problem in your laps and its going to stay there unless theres a miracle on capitol hill. You agree . The tax bill, not fan of this bill. The idea of tax reform was a reasonable thing. The degree to which the republican party, i will say, passed entirely riff republican votes, was able to jam this through and make this a matter of Party Loyalty without much input from an awful lot of republicans in this room and republicans around the country and nonrepubliccans, obviously in terms of white be wise to put in and wise to put out. What really are priorities and real problems. I was struck by not. But nothing is forever and in washington nothing is forever. Its like a year. If the democrats win the, how certainly there will be an attempt to revise the tax code. In 2018 isnt there a need for extenders and some tax bill. One of the weird thing about the lack of entrepreneurship, weird sense among i fine this among younger members of congress, that we resolve that issue, so i guess thats off the table. Thats not how it works. You can raise particular fix if there is one that would help address homelessness in the context of a whole bunch of legislation coming up. I wouldnt let people say, we dealt with that last year. If you dealt with it poorly last year, fix it this year. Reagan, came here to work in the reagan administration, he passed a tax cut that i thought was a model for the tax policy around the world and also true that in 1982, Ronald Reagan signed a pretty big tax bill that fixed various problems and corrected some overstepping in the first bill. So against give up on an issue just because people tell you that was dealt with two months ago. Were just about out of time. We good at copy of the president s infrastructure plan so go to our site you can fine it. Looks line 1 trillion, possibly as much as 1. 7 trillion budget might flip the funding and actually ask that state and lottities, cities, come up with 80 before the administration will no problem at all. 20 trillion. Tell them we paid for 90 already. Im just the messenger. But you can find it on the web site. The last question for bill and bill, were sitting here a year from now, predictions. Anything that you will predict or everything now unpredictable . Yeah. Well, safer to say everything is unpredictable. Bill. Did anybody predict the headline in last nights New York Times . Thats true. I refuse to play this game. This us the wrong washington. No one did. Were now in unpredictable territory. Thank you, bills, and thank you, mayors, for having us. [applause] Chuck Schumer spoke on the senate floor on the parkland shooting. His remarks are ten minutes. Thank you, mr. President. Now, mr. President , in the wake of the horrific shootings at sconeman douglas high school, the Deadliest School shoot can since sandy hook there has been a broad, National Conversation about the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Its been led by a group of brave high school students, the friends, classmates of the fallen, who ill be sitting down with tomorrow. Their passion and eloquence have been a moral force for change. Thank god for these students. To they are urging us now to have a debate in congress about something very straightforward. What can we do to stop very dangerous guns from getting into the hands offed vary dangerous people . How can we keep america safe at our movie theaters and nightclubs, concerts and churches, and above all, at our schools . We need to get Something Real and significant accomplished. The problem of gun violence in this country is too immediate for another delay. Too severe for half measures. Now, the president , President Trump, has been talking about comprehensive background checks. Well, glad to hear that. Were glad that folks are finally starting to talk about the real issues of gun safety again. Democrats believe that at the very least in the wake of parkland, we should strive for comprehensive background checks. Closing the loopholes that allow anyone, regardless of a violent history, a history of Mental Illness to walk into a gun show or go on the internet and purchase a gun. More than 90 of americans in the vast majority of gun owners support comprehensive background checks. What are we waiting for . There seems to be a discussion about a more limited proposal to fix nic bill sported by senators cornyn and murphy, which improves the existing background check in a few ways. I support the bill. Im a cosupport. But the bill is not what President Trump has been talking about this afternoon and at other times, when he says comprehensive background checks. Fix nics was brought to light after a horrific shooting at church in texas. A proposal to address that pick problem, but it leaves unaddressed the host of crucial gun safety issues, including and especially the loopholes in our background check system. If we only pass fix nics well be right back here after the next shooting in nearly the same place. If all congress does in response to the parkland shooting is to pass fix nics we wont be doing our job. We must do muchmer than that. This week, the Democratic Caucus will discuss what policies we believe will most effectively curb the uniquely american epidemic of gun violence. We will propose them and work with our republican colleagues to perfect and hopefully enact them. I sincerely believe we can make progress, even on an issue as broad as this one, but it will require one thing, republican friends to break free from the iron grip of the nra. My republican friends face a simple choice. Do Something Real on guns or please the nra. Doing both is impossible. The nras number one goal is to make sure nothing meaningful on gun safety ever happens. When there are National Issues or horrible shootings they make a fine like they might try to do something and then the pull back because they want nothing to be done. An example, after the shooting in las vegas, senators tried to do something here in the senate about bump stocks. The modification that allows the perpetrator to automatically fire his arsenal of assault weapons them nra and many republicans said, theyd be willing to work on it. But then what . The nra pushed the weakest possible measure, a simple review of the issue by the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms, which hard said they cant do anything about the bill. And then, what happened . Nothing. Now, the nra has pushed the House Republicans to attack the fix nics bill, a very modest improvement, focused on one issue that happened in texas, but was not relevant to what happened here, in parkland. They tried to attach that to nras number one legislative priority, concealed carry res possess trithat defeats the entire purpose of the legislation. Even when it comes to the most modest improvements to gun safety laws, the nra always findses as way to stand in the way of progress. If were going to get something significant done to keep our schools and our kids safe from gun violence, President Trump and Congressional Republicans will have to, for the first time in a very long time, buck the nra. Its our hope that Republican Leaders will work with news a bipartisan way to pass legislation that makes a real difference, not half measures, not baby steps, and certainly not attaching good legislation to legislation that would make the overall problem even worse. We hope republicans will work with us to pass serious changes to our gun laws, whether the nra supports them or not. Thats the only way well make progress on an issue that has frustrated congress and the vast majority of the American People for far too long. On another matter. Last week the republicanled fcc formally published the rule reversing Net Neutrality. The legal infrastructure that kept the internet free and open, to all americans. The fccs rule will give the isp the Internet Service providers the authority to breivik customers access to their favorite websites by forcing consumes to buy internet packages like cable, and pay for premium access, pay more for premium access in this new universe, Big Companies that can pay to play, could get faster Internet Service while startups and everyone Everyday Americans are stuck in the slow lane. It will mean the free the end of the free and even as we know it. The wait its provided unprecedented opportunities for americans to learn and october with one another, that could all change with a profitmaking organization at the toll booth deciding who pays what. We have an opportunity to save the internet, by undoing the fccs ruling through the congressional review act. Already, all 49 democrats sign on to the bill and one republican, susan collins, hawse joined us. You now need only one more vote. One more republican, to reverse the fccs ruling here in the senate. When we force a vote on this bill, republicans in congress will, for the first time, have the opportunity to right the administrations wrong and show the American People whose cider they on, the average consumer or, once again, side with the big corporate interests . Are they on the side of big Internet Service providers and corporations or are they on the side of consumers, entrepreneurs, startups and Small Business owners. Tomorrow there will be a Net Neutrality day of action here on the hill. That i hope will focus the senates attention on the issuement we have 60 legislative days to pass the cra and i away every single one Motor Vehicle republican colleagues to john us and help save the internet. I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. Tonight, on landmark cases well look at the Supreme Court case, mccullough v maryland. With university of virginia associate law professor Sarah Peterson mike killbeck, author of mccullough v maryland, securing a nation. Watch tonight at 9 00 eastern on cspan, cspan. Org or listen the free cspan radio an and for background on each case, order a copy of the book at cspan2. Org and for an additional resource theres a ling on the webs to the National Constitution centers interactive constitution. Cspan, where out unfolds daily
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