Good afternoon. This is a historic day. This is the day that is a long time in coming. In fact, it was on this day under this dome in 1986 that Congress Took the final vote on the last overhaul of our tax code. That long. After that vote, president reagan said americans would finally have a tax code that they can be proud of. It was true then, but things look very, very different today, dont they . Instead of a source of pride, our tax code has become a constant source of frustration. Its too big. Its too complicated. Its too expensive. Today, we are taking the next step to liberate americans from our broken tax code. This unified framework delivers a new tax code that is simple, that is fair, that is progrowth and profamily. Cutting taxes on hard working americans so that you can keep more of your own hard earned paycheck. Simplifying the tax code so that you can file your taxes on a form the size of a postcard. Reforming our tax system so that businesses, particularly small businesses, can gain a Competitive Edge on our foreign competitors. And taking bold steps to bring jobs and profits from overseas back home to the United States of america. This is vital to americas future and it is urgent. We want the American People to wake up in the new year with a new system. So our tax raters on the house ways and Means Committee will work with the members of the Senate Finance committee to turn this framework into legislation. I want to thank our counterparts in the senate and in the administration and i want to especially thank President Trump for his leadership, to him this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that is all about more jobs, fairer taxes and bigger paychecks for American Families. For all of us, this is a now or never moment. The choice before us is really clear. We can succumb to the talking heads on tv and the special interest that want to maintain the status quo or we can Work Together to seize this moment and do what the American People sent us here to do. We can rise to the occasion and write our own future. We can finally get this done for more jobs, more higher wages, for bigger paychecks, for a stronger economy, for our workers and children and for the more prosperous and the more confident america that we all deserve. Thank you. Senator mcconnell . No one has been more passionate about what were announcing today than the speaker for a longer period of time and hes laid it out very well. To summarize what this is about, its about getting america going again and growing again, providing jobs and opportunity here rather than overseas, providing middle class tax relief for hard working American Families so they can get ahead. Put it another way, taking money out of washington and putting it in the pockets of our citizens. Good afternoon. Thank you leader mcconnell and thank you speaker ryan for your leadership on a big, bold tax reform effort. Its exciting to be with you today united around the framework that paefz the way for bold transformational tax reform. Americans have been waiting for years and waiting too long for washington to fix our broken tax code. Theyve been waiting too long for better jobs, for more take home pay and a strong economy. Today, House Republicans joined with President Trump and our Senate Colleagues in letting the American People know were taking action now, action that will bring more jobs, fairer taxes and bigger paychecks. After years of work in the house, and months developing this framework with our Senate Colleagues in the white house, ways and Means Committee was ready to turn this framework into legislation. The President Trump can ultimately sign this year. Were closer than ever to finishing what we started for the American People, for the middle class workers and families and the mainstream job creators mainly struggling to get by today. This is our year to chart a new course, to provide tax relief to millions of middle class families and those who want to be middle class families. To help workers and job creators of every size and every community competing with anywhere in the world especially here at home and to help make the tax code simpler and fair so americans can keep more of what they earn so fair and simple. Nine out of ten americans will be able to file their taxes using a simple postcard style system. Yes, we have a lot of work ahead. But today marks a major step forward in that process. The ways and Means Committee, leader mcconnell, speaker ryan, were ready to build on this momentum and help get tax reform across the finish line for the American People and i know our Senate Colleagues are ready to do the same. With that, im proud to turn it over to the chairman of the Senate Finance committee, senator hatch. Thank you, senator. Were counting on you doing a really good job over in the house. And we know youll do it. I was here in 1986 when we did that massive tax reform and i have to say we reepd great benefits from it because the economy was turned around, we went forward like never before and we intend to do that this time as well. Im proud of our members of the house and for the work that theyre doing in this area, for our speaker, our chairman and others as well who are working in the house to try and bring a bill through that will make a real difference and im very proud of our leader in the senate and of course our finance committee and the senate of people who are working together and i hope we can bring democrats and republicans together in the best interest of this country. Were going to do it. Were tired of things going the way theyre going and were going to try and turn this mess around and i hope well have support from all of our senators and Congress People on both sides of the aisle for the benefit of our country. Id like to ask the members from the finance committee. Thank you, mr. Speaker. The framework announced today sends a loud clear message and that is that tax relief is on the way for the american family. After eight years of economic and wage stagnation under the obama administration, families in this country, 50 of them say theyre living paycheck to paycheck and a third of the families in this country say theyre only 400 away from a financial crisis. That is unacceptable. And thats why this tax relief effort will bring much needed relief for working families in this country, lower rates for families, doubling of the standard deduction for families, expanded Child Tax Credit for families in this country will mean that they will have more to spend on themselves and their families instead of sending it to washington, d. C. To the federal government. Thats a good thing for families in this country. This is about bigger paychecks, its about higher wages, its about more Economic Growth in our economy than that benefits every american and i look forward to working with my colleagues on the Senate Finance committee with our colleagues in the houses of representatives and with the administration to make this happen. I hope that there will be some democrats who are willing to work with us, because this is what they say theyre for. If theyre really for middle income tax relief, why wouldnt they join hands with us and make it a possibility for the American People . Well look forward to what comes ahead. This is a very exciting time, something thats long overdue, something will be very meaningful in the lives of americans. Thank you. Id like to introduce the chairwoman of the House Budget Committee, diane black. Good afternoon and i want to say thank you to speaker ryan and chairman kevin brady for encouraging some really productive dialogue today in our conference. Its wildly known that tax reform is high on the list of priorities for both congress and the administration. For years we have been talking bg the possibility of reform. That makes life easier for our hard working americans and our small businesses, trying to navigate this very complicated burdensome and expensive tax system. Now as the governing majority, we have the opportunity to translate all of this talk into action. And while im encouraged by the steps that have been taken in the right direction today, passage of the budget is still the key that unlocks any of these great ideas. As chairman of the House Budget Committee im proud that my committee has already provided the blue print needed to start up tax reform. The most conservative Budget Approved by this committee in 20 years, it received ups support of the republican members when it passed out of our committee in july. Using reconciliation our budget pays the way for progrowth tax reform that reduces tax rates, it simplifies the tax code as is already been said and it restores the trust in the American Economy and the workforce. And todays retreat, its clear that we all want to help our job creators and the middle class families. They are the ones who are often get the hardest hit by the confusing tax system currently in place and im encouraged that we are closer to changing that. The next step that we need and should take is for tax for tax reform is the passage of our budget. Next id like to invite senator scott to come, member of the finance committee. Thank you. We think about tax reform, the question then comes to mind what is this really about for the average person back at home. I think of one of my constituents sherry whose a single mom, two kids, working very hard. Needing more of her take home pay. Tax reform is about making sure that the sherrys of the world, the single mothers of the world have an opportunity to see more of their money stay in their paycheck because were taking less of it out of their paychecks. It reminds me of my mother who raised two boys as a single mother. When we talk about tax reform we should remember the second component of tax reform. Its about growing our economy so that the jobs of the future are created and manifested here at home. If i could say it as simple as possible, i would say that this tax reform conversation is about keepyomoney. Next the chairman of the subcommittee on taxes on ways and Means Committee peter rascom. Thank you, speaker. I can pull out this phone and click on an app for an airline, click on a flight and a seat and get an eticket sent back to me and a boarding pass all within the twinkling of an eye. Thats the way that there is an expectation that we move forward as it relates to tax reform. Weve got a tax code nearly that has not been clearly updated in 30 years at a time when the entire internet didnt exist from a Commercial Point of view, at a time when there was very little of the shared economy. This is a transformational moment for us to dump 70,000 pages of complexity and to move something that is bu oyant and transformational. Senator toomey. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I see this as just a amazing opportunity and therefore really a responsibility for us to enact the legislation that will be consistent with this framework which will allow us to achieve the growth that weve been waiting so long to achieve. You know, theres nothing normal about a meager 2 growth for the United States of america. Were capable of so much more. And when we get this right, im confident we will achieve that and what that means for the hard working families that i represent, all across pennsylvania, is it means a direct pay raise when we lower their direct tax burden. But it also means an incorrect pay raise indirect pay raise as more jobs are created, upward pressure on wages allows people to have a higher standard of living. So im really excited about this opportunity and im confident well seize the moment. A member of the ways and committee from arizona, congressman shwieker. Thank you mr. Speaker. This is a big deal. Opportunity is coming, an opportunity is coming for every american, fairness, simplicity but something thats absolutely crucial and a lot of you have sat through the presentations on whats happening to our society if we do not get through the Economic Growth. We have tough math ahead of us. Were going to make it work. A man who used to be a member of the ways and Means Committee who is now a member of the Senate Finance committee, a downgrade but well still take him, senator portman from ohio. Thank you, pawul. I like the energy in this room. As i look at it having worked on this for a few years with paul and kevin and others. This is about two things. It is dealing with the middle class squeeze and its very real. Wages are flat on average. Expenses are up. Health cares one of the biggest ones. This is going to give people the opportunity to have a healthier family budget. It goes beyond that. When you look at what the Congressional Budget Office has said, the nonpartisan, 70 of the benefit of lowering the Corporate Tax rate goes to wage growth. 70 of the benefit goes to workers and theres other studies that show its even higher than that. Its also about more jobs. So its more jobs and better jobs, more jobs by going to the kind of proposal thats being talked about here, were going to bring back hundreds of billions, maybe even trillions of dollars from overseas to be invested in our economy and create jobs and opportunity. Laura tyson whose the former chair of the Clinton Administration has said that if we do this, get the rates down and go to the International System to bring this money back home, were going to generate 144 billion a year in new repatriated earnings to our country and 154,000 new jobs a year. This is about wages. Its about jobs. Its about opportunity. And last but not least, a member of the ways and Means Committee from miami carlos cobell lowe. My colleagues are right, this is quite an exciting opportunity. Of course because we get to reform the tax code of the United States of america but more importantly, because we have the opportunity to improve the lives of every single american in this country. Throughout this process, ive thought a lot about young people in our country who perhaps have graduated from college with the promise that they would prosper and excel and yet theyre struggling. I thought about a lot of immigrant families, many in my own community who have come to this country with a willingness to work hard, seeking freedom and opportunity, yet theyre not getting ahead. Theres a lot of frustration and anxiety in our country because the economic recovery has not reached every single household and this is the opportunity to change that, so we really do have to deliver. [ speaking in Foreign Language ] well said. [ laughter ] this is about more jobs, fairer taxes, bigger paychecks and getting this done. Now were up to the point where were going to watch the president dwifgive a speech. Thank you very much, everybody. Announcer cspan, where history unfolds daily. In 1979, cspan was created as a Public Service by americas Cable Television companies. And is brought to you today by your cable or satellite provider. Saturday book tv has coverage of the 2017 baltimore book festival. Starting at noon eastern, Michael Eric Dyson discussing his book tears we cannot stop a certify man to white america. Laura jake cobs with her book, youre in the wrong bathroom. Andrea ritchie with invitable no more. Robin spencer author of the revolution has come. Devon alan and will feature contributors to the books from democracy to freedom and no wall they can build. Watch our coverage of the 2017 baltimore book festival starting at noon eastern on cspans 2 book tv. Announcer the american arab hosted its annual conference in washington, d. C. This portion of the event included a discussion with two democratic u. S. House candidates running in michigans 11th district and californias 39th district. They talked about their reasons for running for office and outreach efforts to muslim americans, latinos and millenni millennials. This is an hour and a half. If i can have everybodys attention. Were going to go into our next panel, next discussion. Unfortunately, one of the congressional candidates that we had texted me about 3 00 a. M. Picture from himself on a plane. He was going to be taking the red eye from