That our lawmaker agencies have the support and the tools that they need to keep us safe. This week, of course, coincides with National Police week. When we honor the sacrifices made by our police and their families. Yesterday, the house acted on a new round of sanctions against the Syrian Regime in order to cut off resources for assads war machine. Also this week, the house approved landmark federal i. T. Reform legislation that will reduce wasteful spending and enhance the governments information security. Will hurd is trying to bring our government into the era of Cloud Computing and this is a big, big march forward in bipartisan forward. As we speak, the ways and Means Committee is holding major hearing today on examining pro growth tax reform. Pro growth means just that. Growth of wages, growth of jobs, growth of opportunity and growth of our economy. Also this week, the education and Workforce Committee unanimously approved Bipartisan Legislation to approve career and technical education, making it easier to connect people with the skills they need to get good paying, indemand jobs. I have to tell you. Wherever i go, in wisconsin last week, we have a real skills gap between the skills people need to good jobs and the jobs offered. This is something we have to address and im very pleased that the Education Workforce committee is moving forward on this legislation. Later today, Armed ServicesCommittee Chairman will unveil the third installment in fact effort to streamline the pentagons bureaucracy and improve the way we develop weapons systems. This is an essential part of our efforts to rebuild our military for the 21st century. Ahead of memorial day, the Veterans AffairsCommittee Approved 11 bills including Bipartisan Legislation to fix the vas broken appeals process. This is a problem we have been working on tackling for years and the va is already taking real strides to get the veterans better care, shorter lines and more peace of mind. Over in the senate, our colleagues continue to discuss the path forward on keeping our promise to repeal and replace obamacare. And lastly, yesterday the president signed the 14th Congressional Review Act resolution to stop president obamas last regulatory onslaught of last year. Up until this year, congress had successfully just repealed one regulation under this law. Now, just this year already, we have done it 14 times in a matter of months. We have much more to do to end governments culture of overreach and overpromise but this is a promise kept to grow the economy and the jobs. It is by no means complete. Every day here we are working to advance our agenda and address the problems that americans face in their every day lives. Questions . Phil . Mr. Speaker, earlier this week senator mcconnell said we could do with a little less drama from the white house on a lot of things saying basically undercut or hamper your agenda. Do you agree with that assessment . Well, yeah. It is always nice to have less drama but the point im trying to make and tried to make it the other day at my press conference, people in the country need to know we are busy at work trying to solve their problems so i realize theres a lot in the media these days. That doesnt seize up congress. That doesnt stop us from doing our jobs to work on peoples problems. One of the reasons why i just read you the list of just what we have done this week on closing the skill gap, on streamlining i. T. To get waste out of government, make the pentagon more efficient, get tax reform moving, these are things that really affect people in their daily lives. We are working on this. I think its very important that people know that we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Draw ma is not helpful but we are getting things done and that is the important point. Yeah . Mr. Speaker, a number of congressional leaders met with the Deputy Attorney general here at the capitol last night. Were you at the meeting . And what is your understanding about why doj took this step . Well, i was at the meeting. I dont comment on such meetings that are classified. As i said before, i believe that the professionals at the Justice Department need to do their jobs independently, objectively and thoroughly. And i believe the special counsel which is Robert Mueller now helps them do that. Do you think it interferes with the congressional investigation . No, it doesnt, actually. Well keep the investigations going here. As ive always said, i think the Intelligence Committee is the right place to do that. This is an investigation of russia, of another country interfering with our elections and the Intelligence Committee is the best place for that and these bipartisan, bicamerel investigations. Rach snell. Do you think overnight could continue . Another followup on that, Jason Chaffetz said he is probably leaving june 30th. Isnt that a conflict . I have not spoken to jason about that. Hes not told me about that. If hes leaving, do you think that he should step aside i will find out from chairman chaffetz what he is doing or isnt doing so i wont comment on something thats in the media. I would rather hear it from him myself. As far as the committee, they made document requests. Thats the oversight committees responsibility. Thats what they do and perfectly appropriate to make the document requests but as i said, especially with repons to intelligence, thats where i think the Intelligence Committee should do their jobs. Chad . Thank you. Obviously, you have been very close over the years with Vice President pence and you talked about trying to continue to move this agenda and hes here often working on these issues here. But considering the mall stream you have been dealt with, some members said we might be better with Vice President pence. Good grief. What is your take on that . Im not going to give credence to that. Thats your members are saying this. Your members are saying it. Im not theres no point making a comment on that. Yeah . Mr. Speaker, does the appointment of a special counsel you think give you some breathing room now at least to work on this agenda . Well, like i said, the appointment of the special counsel i think helps assure people and the Justice Department that theyre going to go do their jobs independently and thoroughly and what we called for all along and i think it was perfectly appropriate to do that. In the meantime, were going to keep doing our jobs. We are going to keep our russia investigations going with the Intelligence Committees and look what i just described. Energy and not the energy and commerce committee. Closing the skills gap. Getting mac thornberry, the way pentagon procures weapons. Lets fix peoples problems and all of our committees are still doing that so as i said i know that people can get consumed with the news of the day but we are leer working on peoples problems every day and we have all these different committees that do different jobs and our job is to make sure that we still make progress for the American People and were doing that. But look what youre being asked about. Yeah. You want to ask about tax reform . All right. Go ahead, mike emanuel youll get picked if you say pass. Mr. Speaker, thank you. Regarding tax reform, theres folks that think it slips beyond this year. I dont think thats the case. Our goal and i feel confident to meet the goal is 2017 for tax reform and i think we are making good response. Ms. Bloomberg with a tax reform comment . I do. Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell said that he thinks that prospects for border adjustment part of the plan are rather bleak in the senate. If he still says it should be revenue neutral, what are the alternatives being discussed and is there a way that the border adjustment can have a transition to make it more palatable or some kind of half border adjustment . Yeah. So i think you can say yes to all of the above of what you just said. What we have to do and as an old tax writer, i would say this is you have to weigh alternatives off one another. It is obvious that you can and should have some kind of an adjustment and phasein period with a border adjustment. I think its a smart way to go. I think it makes the tax code most internationally competitive of any other version we are looking at and removes tax incentives for a firm to move jefr seas or move production overseas but if youre not going to do border adjustment, look at the alternatives to that. Theres always upsides and downsides to alternatives. We are going through the process of looking at what is the best way to reform the tax code and to lower tax rates for businesses and to make the american tax system internationally competitive. Right now it is literally one of the worst tax systems in the industrialized world. Were losing companies. Becoming foreign companies. We have an incentive that basically tells companies outsource your manufacturing. Why reason earth are we doing that . Were working on this. Fixing peoples problems and that is why tax reforms so critical and i do believe that there are very serious and legitimate searches to any version of tax reform and we have to accommodate the concerns as we move to a new tax system. Yeah . Mr. Speaker, thank you. Lisa from cbs. Two questions, following up on rachels question, you talked about the russia investigation, can you talk about where the questions of mr. Trumps relationship with mr. Comey and potential of obstruction of justice issues should fall. You want the facts on that. On health care, insurers are ready to set rates. Do you think theres a possibility whatever comes out of congress affects next year or looking two years down the road . Ill defer you to hhs on csr payments. We have a deadline i think monday if im not mistake nl. Well meet that deadline. Well do a status report. The republicans will. Thats unresolved. I would have to defer you to secretary price on csr payments. Okay. But on the question of potential obstruction of justice questions yeah, yeah. Look. Thats what investigations with for. You now have a special counsel who will take over that portfolio within the Justice Department. I think its appropriate. The whole point is to have an independent investigation and follow the facts wherever they may lead. It is premature to prejudge anything at this point only that we have a process in place. We have a process in place here in congress and the administration now has a process in place in the Justice Department. Ill just have to leave it at that. Is that part of oversight or intelligence here . Ill leave it up to the committees to determine that. Thank you. And this afternoon, a joint News Conference with President Trump and colombian president juan santos live at 3 45 p. M. Eastern here on cspan3. Cspan, where history unfolds daily. In 1979, cspan was created as a Public Service by americas Cable Television kanes. And is brought to you today by your cable or satellite provider. Whether youre going to be a dentist or a lawyer or a teacher or an accountant, let your guiding principle be truth and service. Success is not an entitlement. It has to be earned and earned every day through the lens of humility. Our greatest passions in life often force us to face challenges that seem insurmountable. You can conquer these challenges and they will shape and strengthen your character. Saturday night at 8 00 p. M. Eastern, 2017 commencement speeches. This weekend, speakers include senator harris at Howard University in washington, d. C. , education secretary betsy devos at Bethune Cookman university in florida, c eo and president of aero rocket dyne drake, executive chairman of starbucks schultz at Arizona State university, senator warren and senator portman at Ashland University in ohio. This saturday night at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan and cspan. Org. Yesterday Police Chiefs from across the nation visited the u. S. Capitol to tell lawmakers about the challenges their departments face. This house judiciary subcommittee hearing is about an hour 45 minutes