Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 115 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 164 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2018 No. 6 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was through the massive tax cut, the larg- ricultural products directly to farm co- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- est transfer of wealth in our Nation’s operatives. There is a story about one pore (Mr. SMITH of Nebraska). history, which will be paid for on the gentleman in there who felt that this f backs of our children and grand- could put him out of business. It is children with increased debt and bene- going to sting large agribusinesses like DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO fiting people who in the main don’t Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland. TEMPORE need it—I said at the time that each The new provision could reshape parts The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- week after this bill passed, if it did, we of the agriculture economy and sharply fore the House the following commu- would have a series of embarrassing reduce many farmers’ taxes as well as nication from the Speaker: stories about mistakes and oversight scrambling these individual businesses. WASHINGTON, DC, and special interest provisions that John Power, a North Dakota ac- January 10, 2018. were stuck into it. countant who was the accountant for I hereby appoint the Honorable ADRIAN Well, actually, the fact is that that the small grain operator who is going SMITH to act as Speaker pro tempore on this was somewhat understated because we to be hammered, said: ‘‘It is kind of day. are seeing, literally, every day people hard to imagine they intended to make PAUL D. RYAN, understand what was tucked in the Speaker of the House of Representatives. farming tax free. Fixing it becomes dif- bill: mistakes, oversight, and special ficult because they don’t think it’s f interest provisions. something that can be fixed with regu- MORNING-HOUR DEBATE For example, there is a provision in lation.’’ the bill that was, we were told, de- There are a variety of these provi- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- signed to help small craft brewers. sions that are a result of not following ant to the order of the House of Janu- That is important to me and the people what we call ‘‘regular order,’’ without ary 8, 2018, the Chair will now recog- I represent, and there is broad support having hearings on the provision, of al- nize Members from lists submitted by for minor provisions that would be able lowing lobbyists and staff to be able to the majority and minority leaders for to help them by reducing their tax li- draft the bill on the fly without having morning-hour debate. ability. But the provision that ended members of the committee—not just The Chair will alternate recognition up in the final bill has massive oppor- Democrats, but Republicans—fully between the parties. All time shall be tunities to benefit large producers—a know what was in it. That is legisla- equally allocated between the parties, little bit for small craft brewers, but tive malpractice. It is one of the rea- and in no event shall debate continue for large, international distillers, an sons why, despite giving over $3 trillion beyond 11:50 a.m. Each Member, other opportunity to reconfigure how they do of tax cuts, the bill remains unpopular. than the majority and minority leaders business to take advantage of multiple and the minority whip, shall be limited opportunities for that tax break. Americans are nervous about increas- to 5 minutes. There was an article yesterday talk- ing our national debt over $2 trillion, f ing about how the tax rate for Amer- and they know that the benefits for av- ican companies that manufacture over- erage citizens are going to go away in TAX BILL RAMIFICATIONS seas, the tax on that activity will be a few years and some are actually The SPEAKER pro tempore. The half as much as if they were manufac- going to see tax increases, but the ben- Chair recognizes the gentleman from turing in the United States, providing efits for the top 1 percent and the larg- Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 min- an incentive to offshore jobs at a time est corporations are permanent. utes. when most of us would like to make People know that it is not fair, that Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, sure that it is, here at home, at least, it is unnecessary, and that it is going one of the phrases one often hears is, ‘‘I a level playing field, not to disadvan- to have more and more problems here, hate to say I told you so.’’ And it is de- tage people manufacturing here at not just in States like mine where citi- livered with a feigned sincerity, but home. zens are no longer going to be able to usually people actually like to say, ‘‘I And, of course, there is another story fully deduct their State and local told you so.’’ in today’s Wall Street Journal, ‘‘Tax taxes, property taxes, resulting in sig- I must confess that I have some of Law’s Effect Fuels Farm Outcry,’’ be- nificant inequity, in scrambling prop- those feelings myself, as repeatedly cause there was a provision inserted in erty values, not just in Oregon, but it during the few hours the Ways and the bill that would give farmers a more is across the country where people are Means Committee met, rushing lucrative deduction when they sell ag- going to be facing these problems. 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. H85 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:39 Jan 11, 2018 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A10JA7.000 H10JAPT1 H86 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 10, 2018 CELEBRATING PASSAGE OF THE for millions of workers. Quite simply, work passionately and unrelentingly TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT this bill provides the kind of tax relief for the very vision of our country that The SPEAKER pro tempore. The that Americans deserve. inspires so many around the world, for Chair recognizes the gentleman from We challenged the status quo and the that more perfect Union that we know Pennsylvania (Mr. THOMPSON) for 5 special interests who said it couldn’t be is still ahead of us, for that society minutes. done, and we did it. And the American that remembers that we are all better Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. people won. off when we are all better off. Mr. Speaker, it has been nearly 10 f Dr. King would remind us that jus- years since the Great Recession offi- CELEBRATING MARTIN LUTHER tice is what love looks like in public. cially began, when our economy KING, JR., DAY He would call on us to move into that slumped and unemployment climbed to The SPEAKER pro tempore. The plane of higher education, that plane of levels not witnessed since the early moral consciousness where we simply 1980s, but last month Congress paved Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. JAYAPAL) for 5 min- cannot stand by as injustice occurs the way to create a tax system that is around us. fair, simpler, and one that establishes utes. an environment where our country can Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I rise He would call on us to address eco- unleash our full potential. today in honor of the upcoming holiday nomic inequality by raising the min- Too many Americans are living pay- remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, imum wage and enacting real tax re- check to paycheck and have been for Jr. form whose benefits accrue to the too long. Stagnant wages, growing As a lifelong activist fighting for im- masses and not to the top 1 percent and debt, and the inability to save have migrants, civil and human rights, and the wealthiest corporations. plagued so many. That is why our tax now as a Member of Congress, Dr. King Dr. King would call on us to pass the overhaul is so important. This truly is has been a deep and central inspiration Dream Act and support the futures of a once-in-a-generation opportunity throughout my life. His work has 1.5 million young people across the that we could not afford to pass up. helped me to make possible the path country. He would call on us to expand The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will touch that I have taken, from being a 16- and support the Affordable Care Act every household in the Nation and year-old immigrant girl who came to and healthcare for everyone so that no every corner of our economy. As soon this country by herself for college, to one is one healthcare crisis away from as February, Americans will see more serving, now, as the first Indian-Amer- bankruptcy. money in their paychecks. When it ican woman elected to the United Our work is still to fight for justice comes time to file their 2018 taxes, our States House of Representatives—and and build that beloved community tax system will be so simple that 9 out it is the courage and the fight of Dr. where each of us has a place to stand of 10 Americans will be able to file on King that made my journey possible.