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, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017 No. 2 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was acted on, for decades. Time and time all live, the most unfair tax facing called to order by the Speaker pro tem- again, from Congress to Congress, law- many Americans is inheritance tax. pore (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania). makers come down to this floor to talk The death tax, as it is more commonly f about the need for tax reform. referred to, is a form of double taxation As a current small business owner for that can take a generation’s worth of DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO all of my working life, I understand sweat equity and hard work and de- TEMPORE what is killing small businesses first- stroy it if a family business, for exam- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- hand. Since I came to Congress, I have ple, is passed down to a next of kin. fore the House the following commu- been outspoken on the need to reform That is what nearly happened to me nication from the Speaker: our Tax Code, and I have a proposal to after the death of my parents. Fortu- WASHINGTON, DC, make it happen. My tax reform plan nately for me, I was able to gather the January 4, 2017. will simplify our Tax Code. It will give resources to keep my father’s business I hereby appoint the Honorable GLENN job creators the tools they need to suc- afloat. Many of my friends have not THOMPSON to act as Speaker pro tempore on ceed and empower America’s greatest been so lucky. this day. asset—the American worker. My tax We cannot force owners and opera- PAUL D. RYAN, reform plan will do exactly what its tors to sell off parts of a business just Speaker of the House of Representatives. name says it will do—jump-start Amer- so the Federal Government can collect f ica. a few extra dollars equal to less than 1 MORNING-HOUR DEBATE Today, the Internal Revenue Code is percent of Federal revenue. Especially often called complicated, uncompeti- considering our government is running The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- tive, and unfair; and rightfully so. Ac- a huge deficit and a $20 trillion na- ant to the order of the House of Janu- cording to the Tax Foundation, Federal tional debt, I would argue that the pri- ary 3, 2017, the Chair will now recog- tax laws and regulations have grown to vate sector is a much better steward of nize Members from lists submitted by more than 10 million words in length. budgeting, investing, and creating re- the majority and minority leaders for Imagine how much easier tax season turn on investment than the Federal morning-hour debate. would be for all of us if we shrank our Government. That is why Jump-Start The Chair will alternate recognition individual income tax thresholds to America will repeal the death tax once between the parties, with each party two brackets. What if our Tax Code ac- and for all. limited to 1 hour and each Member tually put American taxpayers first, in These are a few of the notable re- other than the majority and minority other words, treated us like a cus- forms of Jump-Start America that I leaders and the minority whip limited tomer? talk about on the road in Texas and na- to 5 minutes, but in no event shall de- The United States has the highest tionwide. Jump-Start America has bate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. corporate tax rate in the free world. gained the support of Americans for f Sure, deductions, exclusions, and tax Tax Reform and former Congressional credits occasionally lower that rate, Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz- JUMP-START AMERICA but these add further to the Tax Code’s Eakin. It was called ‘‘a good plan’’ by The SPEAKER pro tempore. The complexity, and they allow carve-outs the Cato Institute. Chair recognizes the gentleman from for special interests. As a small business owner, I can tell Texas (Mr. WILLIAMS) for 5 minutes. To those who believe our corporate you my plan will put people back to Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Speaker, last tax rate is okay the way it is, I ask you work, encourage business and individ- November, the American people spoke to consider why American companies uals to spend money they didn’t have loud and clear about wanting real are moving their headquarters over- before, and grow the economy. It is a change in Washington. The American seas. In order to incentivize these com- thing called the American Dream. people want Washington to work for panies to return their investments in While Jump-Start America is a small them—no more empty promises and no expansion and employment back home business perspective on tax reform, it more talk. in America, my plan will implement a will benefit every American individ- Mr. Speaker, the American people permanent tax holiday to allow repa- ually and our Nation as a whole. want their government to act, and Con- triation of funds at 5 percent. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues, es- gress’ time to act is now. I come here While the corporate tax rate is put- pecially the newer Members, to famil- today to offer a solution to an issue ting the United States at a disadvan- iarize themselves with my plan as we that has been discussed, but not truly tage in the global economy which we work to implement an aggressive pro- 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. H55 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:30 Jan 05, 2017 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A04JA7.000 H04JAPT1 smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with HOUSE H56 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 4, 2017 growth agenda under new leadership on Now, the appropriators don’t like it regulations on Americans. Those regu- the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. because, hey, they don’t get to mess lations cost us $1.9 trillion in lost pro- In God We Trust. around with it, and the Budget Com- ductivity and growth—a cost of $15,000 f mittee doesn’t like it because that per American household. means they either have to look like Now, for the first time during my FUNDING OUR PORTS they have another half a billion dollars tenure serving the Second Congres- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The a year of deficit or they would have to sional District of Missouri, Congress Chair recognizes the gentleman from raise some funds somewhere else to has a unique opportunity. This week Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO) for 5 minutes. spend somewhere else. we will pass a bill that I have had the Mr. DEFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, during But the point is this money should be pleasure of cosponsoring and voted for this last Presidential election year, spent as intended. So today I am send- twice before—the REINS Act, and I ex- there was a tremendous amount of dis- ing a letter to President-elect Trump. pect it to become law. The REINS Act cussion about the Nation’s infrastruc- He has said time and time again he puts power back in the hands of the ture and the need for investment to wants to invest in our infrastructure. people as Congress—the people’s make America more competitive and Obviously, it is going to be a little House—can implement an up-or-down move goods and our citizens more effi- longer term before we get to surface vote on any new major rule before they ciently. because we are going to have to raise can take effect. Congress should decide There wasn’t a lot of particular dis- additional revenues there to deal with what rules are necessary for our con- cussion about ports, but they are an in- our crumbling roads, bridges, and tran- stituents—not unelected bureaucrats. We will also pass this week the Mid- credibly important part of our infra- sit systems. night Rules Relief Act which will allow structure. More than $470 billion of ex- But for our ports, we don’t have to Congress to stop the Obama adminis- ports went through America’s ports. wait. Day one, he can send a message tration’s last minute regulations from Three-quarters of our exports are wa- to Congress saying: Hey, get off your taking effect as they turn out the terborne through these ports around butts down there and spend that money the United States. lights and head out the door. for the purpose for which the tax was The American people spoke loud and Now, the Corps of Engineers says collected. Stop gouging the American clear: They want results. They are that, of our 59 busiest ports depicted taxpayers and shorting our ports. tired of working harder for less money here, they are fully available less than It’s time to do things a little dif- and tired of wondering how they will 35 percent of the time, and that is even ferently around here, and I am hopeful make ends meet at the end of every before we begin to deal with the larger that the President perhaps will tweet month.