Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017 No. 186 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was Congress works, what we achieved in lies. That is not what the Speaker said called to order by the Speaker pro tem- 1986 may, in hindsight, appear to have it was going to do. He said he would pore (Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia). been easy. It wasn’t. give everybody a tax cut. That was not f It was difficult because it required true, and is not true. 36 million middle compromise; it was difficult because it class American households will see DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO required trust; and it was difficult be- their taxes go up over the next 10 years TEMPORE cause it required both parties to make as a result of this Republican plan. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- tough choices and share the burden of And third, the Republican plan will fore the House the following commu- taking responsibility, along with the explode the debt by more than $1.7 tril- nication from the Speaker: benefit of claiming victory. lion over the next decade. This bill is WASHINGTON, DC, Somewhere along the way, Mr. the granddaddy of all debt creators. November 14, 2017. Speaker, it seems that many in the Re- This means that those tax cuts, more I hereby appoint the Honorable JODY B. publican Party lost sight of this truth. than half of which benefit only the top HICE to act as Speaker pro tempore on this First on healthcare, and now on taxes, 1.5 percent, will be paid for by a huge day. they have decided that it would be tax increase on our children and on our PAUL D. RYAN, easier not to work with Democrats at grandchildren. Speaker of the House of Representatives. all, so they have chosen a partisan The late Senator Russell Long from f path, where the only ones with whom Louisiana liked to cite an old ditty MORNING-HOUR DEBATE they have to compromise are them- about who gets stuck with the pain of selves. It is ‘‘going to be easy,’’ they tax increase. He said: ‘‘Don’t tax you, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- said. don’t tax me, tax that fellow behind ant to the order of the House of Janu- And the result: We now expect, on the tree,’’ meaning, of course, that ary 3, 2017, the Chair will now recog- this floor, a bill so dangerous and so none of the voters want a tax increase, nize Members from lists submitted by reprehensible to the taxpayers of this so if you raise taxes, make sure it is the majority and minority leaders for country that nearly every major orga- someone else who is out of sight and morning-hour debate. nization representing taxpayers, small out of mind. The Chair will alternate recognition businesses, workers, farmers, seniors, In this case, sadly, Mr. Speaker, that between the parties. All time shall be home builders, realtors, teachers—and fellow behind the tree is a child. This is equally allocated between the parties, I could go on—oppose this bill. a tax increase on all those children. It and in no event shall debate continue There are more serious problems is a child who can’t vote and doesn’t beyond 11:50 a.m. Each Member, other with the Republican tax bill than time have a voice in this debate. than the majority and minority leaders to address them on this floor, so I want The Republican plan asks Members and the minority whip, shall be limited to highlight the three that make it so to pile $1.7 trillion or more of debt onto to 5 minutes. utterly dangerous to our economy and our children and grandchildren and put f to the middle class. the fiscal sustainability of our country First, most of the benefits of the tax at further risk. When confronted with GOP TAX BILL cuts Republicans are proposing will this fact, we heard only the same argu- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The benefit only those at the very top 1 ments we heard in 2001 and 2003, before Chair recognizes the gentleman from percent; the 99 percent left behind. Ac- the last major Republican effort to cut Maryland (Mr. HOYER) for 5 minutes. cording to the nonpartisan Tax Policy taxes precipitated the worst recession Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I was here Center’s latest analysis, under the Re- in our memory and a period of severe when Democrats and Republicans came publican plan, 47 percent of the tax budget tightening that led to disinvest- together to enact bipartisan tax reform cuts will benefit that top 1 percent, ment in our country under the threat in 1986. We paid for our tax overhaul just 1.2 million households making of sequestration. and never once asked future genera- more than $900,000 a year. That argument, flawed and false, is tions to foot the bill. Let me repeat: the top 1 percent will that these tax cuts will grow the econ- President Trump said in July that get nearly half of all the tax cuts in omy so much that the ensuing growth tax reform is, and I quote, ‘‘going to be this bill, and 50 percent for the 99 per- will magically erase all the deficits we easy.’’ I will admit that, to someone cent. know their plan will accrue. like him who is new to government and Second, the Republican plan raises So easy, Mr. Speaker, so easy. The who may not understand fully how taxes on 36 million middle class fami- cuts will simply pay for themselves, we b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H9181 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:18 Nov 15, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A14NO7.000 H14NOPT1 H9182 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 14, 2017 are told. We have been told that before, Rural communities also face unique As we celebrate National Rural of course. The cycle repeats: Repub- healthcare concerns, a lack of pro- Health Day this Thursday, it is my lican promises that tax cuts will pay viders, accessibility issues, particu- hope that we continue to strive for a for themselves, followed by massive larly in terms of transportation and 21st century healthcare system that deficits, 189 percent increase in the def- technology, and affordability issues as works for everyone in America. With icit under Ronald Reagan, followed by a result of larger percentages of unin- technology today, we have the oppor- Republicans insisting that we respond sured and underinsured citizens and tunity to expand services, regardless of with austere cuts to investments in our greater out-of-pocket health costs. where one resides, particularly for people and in our opportunity. So eas- Mr. Speaker, before I was elected to those in rural regions where the need is ily they forget. serve in the House of Representatives, great and the services are scarce. But middle class Americans will not I spent nearly 30 years in the nonprofit f forget who is responsible when their healthcare field, assisting those with taxes go up, when their tax increases life-changing diseases and disabilities. PRESIDENT TRUMP’S AMERICA pay for tax cuts for the top 1 percent, I am acutely aware of the challenges FIRST DOCTRINE and when, in the years ahead, more and many face when it comes to obtaining The SPEAKER pro tempore. The more investments need to be cut to pay reasonably priced healthcare. It is es- Chair recognizes the gentleman from the interest on the debt under which pecially critical for rural America, like Illinois (Mr. QUIGLEY) for 5 minutes. this plan will bury the children and much of the Fifth Congressional Dis- Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, last grandchildren of America. trict of Pennsylvania. week, the President visited Asia for the And all because my colleagues across We are facing a healthcare crisis in first time as Commander in Chief, and the aisle wanted to skip out on doing our Nation’s rural areas. These often took the opportunity, while on foreign what they knew would be hard, just as disadvantaged populations are still soil, to reiterate his America First doc- they did when former Ways and Means struggling to access affordable, quality trine. Committee Chairman Dave Camp in- care. Many remain uninsured. Most are I rise today because an America First troduced his comprehensive tax reform underinsured; however, access to qual- doctrine mentality will not lead to suc- that was responsibly paid for. That is ity care remains the largest challenge. cess for the United States or the world. Even when people gain access to Dave Camp, Republican, State of This way of thinking is an outdated, health insurance, it doesn’t equal ac- Michigan. He is retired now, but he of- obsolete, and dangerous form of isola- cess to care. Rural hospitals across the fered a responsible bill, and it was not tionism. It will not keep us safe. It will country are closing, leaving patients even considered by his committee. not make us stronger economically. without access to their emergency He asked his colleagues to do some- Ironically, this phrase paints a pic- rooms and long-term healthcare facili- thing hard, of course, but they dis- ture that is blatantly un-American.