United States and Israel Space Cooperation Act

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and, once again, I commend him for being a champion of middle class families.

I want my colleagues all to hear the esteem in which we hold our Democratic members of the Ways and Means Committee. I thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Neal, for being our ranking member and for your extraordinary leadership on behalf of America's middle class working families, and that includes millions of veterans. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, today is a very sad day in the history of America because we have, on the floor, probably the worst bill in recent time to come to the floor. That doesn't mean it doesn't have stiff competition from other legislation the Republicans have brought to the floor, but this is the worst because so many people are affected in such a negative way and because trillions of dollars of impact on our economy have been voted upon without any hearing, without any hearing from the people who will be most affected by it--no hearings, no experts, no listening to the American people.

Yesterday, our Republican colleagues stood on this floor and voted for a GOP tax scam that the American people oppose 2 to 1. Our Republican colleagues stood on the floor and cheered. They

cheered a bill that will raise taxes on 86 million middle class families and hand a staggering 83 percent of its tax cuts to the wealthiest 1 percent.

Shamefully, the Republicans were cheering against the children as they robbed from their future and ransacked the middle class to reward the rich.

Today, the Republicans take their victory lap for successfully pillaging the American middle class to benefit the powerful and the privileged.

I come to the floor with stories of men and women and children that Republicans shamefully cheered against yesterday.

Yesterday, I wish the Republicans had heard, as we did, the story of Ady Barkan, 30 years old, father of a beautiful baby son, and Ady is suddenly stricken with ALS, 30 years old.

From his wheelchair, with a strong but wavering voice, he begged Congress not to pass this bill. He pleaded with anyone who would listen not to vote for this tax scam that will raise his health benefits and condemn Medicaid to devastating cuts as the logical next step. He has been lobbying on Capitol Hill against this bill for a while. Ady said yesterday it would do so much damage.

It would deprive me of the Medicaid I need to stay alive a

little longer and see baby Carl learn to read and teach him

how to play chess and watch him go to first grade.

But Republicans didn't listen, said ``no,'' and cheered.

Yesterday, we heard the story, and I wish our Republican friends could have heard it, of Laura Hatcher, mother of sweet and kind 11- year-old Simon, one of the Little Lobbyists.

Simon has a rare disease and cerebral palsy. His mother spoke of how their family watches the Muppet version of ``A Christmas Carol'' and how Simon sees himself in Tiny Tim, another kind boy with braces on his legs. Unfortunately, this story, as of today, does not have the same kind of happy ending as ``A Christmas Carol.''

But the story is not over, and like Tiny Tim, Simon and his family now find their future in danger because of the greed of those with power, the cruelty that is in the heart of the tax scam.

As Simon's mother, Laura, said:

Very soon I could, once again, be facing a future where I

don't know how I will be able to care for my child. This is a

thought I simply find too difficult to bear.

Since you didn't hear yesterday, I will go on to say what she said.

We parents of medically complex kids understand

consequences. We know what will happen if this tax bill

passes, if our country does not turn from this destructive

and immoral path.

But the Republicans didn't listen. They said ``no,'' and they cheered. They cheered against Simon because Republicans value the wishes of the special interest lobbyists over the Little Lobbyists, the voices of Little Lobbyists, sick children standing up for themselves and for their siblings, children standing with their siblings.

Yesterday, we heard from faith leaders, too. They implored Congress to reject this bill that punishes working families and rewards the wealthiest 1 percent.

I repeat: 83 percent of the benefits go to the top 1 percent; 86 million American working middle class families will have their taxes raised.

Sister Simone said she wept for the fact that our Representatives are not weeping over the damage they are doing to families across America.

They challenged us to honor our faith in this holy season, to remember that our first responsibility is to those who have the least, not to enrich those who are already privileged and powerful.

They challenged us to heed not only the message of Christmas, but to remember the words of Jesus enshrined in the Gospel of Matthew.

But Republicans didn't listen. They said ``no.'' They cheered. They cheered. They cheered against little Simon. They cheered against Ady Barkan. They cheered against people in need.

The GOP tax scam is a monumental con job, but who got conned? President Trump will sign the bill whenever he signs it. I know it is supposed to be today, but I hear the special interests are weighing in for him to delay it for some reason or another.

President Trump will sign a bill that betrays the promises he made in the campaign.

President Trump promised to eliminate the carried interest loophole; yet the Republicans wrote a tax scam that not only continues this outrageous loophole, but it gives even more loopholes to the wealthy and well connected.

President Trump promised to stop corporations from shipping jobs overseas, but Republicans wrote a tax scam that gives corporate America even bigger incentives to ship jobs overseas.

President Trump promised tax reform focused on middle class families, tax breaks for middle class families. Republicans wrote a tax scam that raises taxes on 86 million middle class families in our country.

President Trump promised he would protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, but Republicans wrote a tax plan to explode the deficit and use it as an excuse to cut Medicare and Medicaid. They have made no secret of their plans. They have even said this week, to raise the Social Security age.

So who got conned? Did the people get conned by the promises? Did the President get conned by the Republicans? Is he signing a bill that betrays his promises to the American people?

It is all about the Republicans in Congress. They have in their DNA trickle-down economics. Tax breaks for the rich, tax breaks for corporations, and the former Speaker even said: If trickle-down creates jobs, that would be good. If it doesn't, so be it. That is the free market.

As Republicans head to the White House for their victory lap, hopefully they won't trip over the wheelchair of Ady Barkan and other Americans with preexisting conditions.

I caution them not to trip over the wheelchair of Simon Hatcher and other children with severe medical needs. They will be in the path of your victory lap.

Don't trip over the sisters and brothers and mothers and fathers who tend to the health and well-being of their sick children and their siblings and who will not stop fighting to protect them.

I told you yesterday in a public forum:

I caution you not to get in the way of a mother and father

of a child with special needs and disabilities or extreme

medical conditions. They will do anything to protect that

child, and they notice what you are doing here.

As you are on this victory lap, you will probably have to put on earphones so you can block out the pleas of faith leaders speaking up for hardworking American families.

I know the Republicans want to talk so they can't hear the truth about their bill, but the American people won't forget the false representations you have made. They won't forget how loudly you cheered when you hurt their families, their children with special needs, their families struggling to attain some financial stability.

And why? These people say to me: How could they be so cruel as to put the health provision in this bill that would possibly eliminate 13 million people from the rolls of health insurance? How could they do that? Why did they do that?

Why? The answer is always the same: to give them room to give tax breaks to the wealthiest people in our country and to corporate America, unpaid for, permanently.

Our distinguished colleague from Massachusetts will show his credit card again today. They are putting this bill on a credit card that our children are going to have to pay for, robbing from their future.

This holiday they are talking about giving people a Christmas present? Well, Joe Sixpack, whom the President said he was there to help, and I hope that that is true, Joe Sixpack will be delivering the champagne to their parties. That is how this is. This isn't about anything better for working class families. This is about champagne glasses clinking and wealthy families across the country.

I don't begrudge them their success or their wealth or their achievement. I just don't want to see it at the exploitation of America's working families.

Shame on you for voting for this outrageous theft from the American middle class.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I urge my colleagues to do the right thing in this people's House and vote ``no'' on behalf of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 668, I call up the bill (H.R. 1) to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, both the House and now the Senate have taken action on legislation to reform America's Tax Code for the first time in 31 years. Unfortunately, two targeted provisions did not meet Senate rules and had to be removed.

Today, the process continues to move forward, and, with this vote, it will be the House, the people's House, that officially sends this historic legislation to President Trump's desk.

I know the American people are excited. More than that, I know they are feeling a sense of relief. They are relieved that, for the first time in years, they are going to see more money in their paychecks that they can keep.

Think about that middle-income family of four, earning $70,000 a year. These are working families, and the tax cut of more than $2,000 they will see under this bill, that $2,000 is real money. It is real money these families worked hard to earn, but, until now, they have had to send it to Washington instead of being able to use it for their own needs, whether that is paying bills, saving for the future, or putting new tires on a car.

Think about the relief our job creators and our workers will feel. For so long, Americans have barely seen any growth in their paychecks, yet they are going to their jobs every day, and they are working harder than ever.

With this bill, that hard work is finally going to be rewarded, and we are going to see the growth of jobs and paychecks like we haven't seen in years.

For our businesses, large and small, no matter if they are a small startup with just three workers or a large company with 3,000, they are finally going to have a Tax Code that works with them as they grow, innovate, and invest in our communities. They are going to see relief from complexity and high rates and the feeling they are always having to compete with one hand tied behind their back.

For all these Americans, all the hardworking men, women, and families who bring life to our communities and to our economy, I think the major source of relief is knowing that, starting in the new year, none of us has to accept this broken Tax Code and this slow-growth status in America any longer.

With the new tax system we will deliver today, things will change for the better, and they will change immediately. This new Tax Code will be simple, it will be fair, and it will be focused on the needs of the American people, not on Washington's special interests.

This new Tax Code will be modern. It will be competitive. It will create more good-paying jobs right here in our communities, not drive them overseas. Above all, this new Tax Code, America's Tax Code, will not belong to the special interests anymore. It will belong to the American people. It will help more Americans realize their own American Dream, whatever that may be. For all the Americans who struggle and who have been left behind under today's broken Tax Code, that has to be the biggest relief of all.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot of false claims these days by opponents of tax reform. We hear that this isn't relief for the middle class, that people will see their taxes increase. But the Tax Policy Center, the most liberal economic group there is, just grudgingly admitted yesterday that 90 percent of Americans will see real tax cuts in this Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In fact, the only ones who won't are the one- tenth of 1 percent who could.

We hear today about betrayal. Well, let's talk about that.

This tax reform bill doubles the child tax credit and expands it to nearly four times as many Americans, helping them with the expensive costs of childcare. Democrats oppose helping our parents raise their children. That is betrayal.

In this tax reform bill, we increase the amount of medical expenses Americans can write off--medical expenses driven up by ObamaCare. Democrats oppose helping families write off these costs. That is betrayal.

Now we are expanding the number of Americans who can, and how much, give in charity to our churches and to their causes. Democrats oppose helping people give to the community and to the causes they believe in. That is betrayal.

In this bill, we, for the first time, allow families who are saving for their kids' future to be able to use that and transfer it to the new ABLE accounts because their child has special needs and may need help throughout their life. Democrats oppose letting families save for their disabled children's future. That is betrayal.

Then we hear over and over again how some stand for small business, our Main Street businesses. Republicans, for the first time ever, provide a 20 percent deduction for our Main Street and small businesses across America. Democrats oppose helping our Main Street businesses. That is betrayal.

For too long, we have watched our jobs move overseas. This changes. This tax cut bill brings those jobs back and, more importantly, allows our companies, when they compete and win around the world, to bring those dollars back to be reinvested in our communities, in jobs, in manufacturing, and in research. Democrats oppose bringing jobs back to America and bringing those dollars back to reinvest in our community. Mr. Speaker, that is betrayal.

At the end of the day, we have a choice. Do we give back to families, parents, small businesses, and to America the hope and opportunity of a new economy driven by what is important to them, not what is important to special interests in Washington, D.C.?

That is what this bill is all about.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, let's talk deficits. Our Democrat opponents just hate the thought that we would give Americans back what they earned.

In 2009, when President Obama lifted the national debt by $1.6 trillion--more than this tax bill--they cheered. In the next year, when President Obama raised the national debt by almost $2 trillion in 1 year, they cheered. Three more times, President Obama and Democrats raised our national debt more than $1 trillion every year. And now-- now--they oppose it.

Why?

Because that was about Washington spending your money. This is about giving it back to the American people, and now, suddenly, you object.

Two trillion dollars of deficit in 1 year.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Barr for his leadership. The gentleman is correct, Senate Democrats stripped this out. I am committed to working with the gentleman to find a permanent solution to this problem as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I say to my Democratic colleagues: The worst bill in 29 years? With ObamaCare, don't sell yourselves short.

Today, we have a choice to make. We can either stick with the status quo--we just heard it--or we can take bold action to overhaul this broken Tax Code and restore hope, opportunity, and prosperity to Americans.

Our choice is clear, and I have made mine. I will vote to send this bill to President Trump's desk to get real tax reform done for the American people for the first time in 31 years. We will deliver for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished leader of the Democratic Party.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, the President just said in the last few minutes that the most important part of this legislation is the corporate tax cuts.

Stop the nonsense that you are doing this for the middle class.

In the 20 hours that have elapsed, Mr. Speaker, since we last had this debate, we were promised a number of things. The only thing they left out was that this tax bill was going to stem the tides, take us to Mars tomorrow, and the Cleveland Browns were going to win the Super Bowl.

The certainty of what they are telling us--if the stockmarket goes up, then they did it. The stockmarket has been going up since March of 2009. They talk about economic growth. Economic growth has now proceeded for 88 straight months. They keep telling us the rocket is about to launch because of this tax bill.

Do you know what is great about this, Mr. Speaker?

Reporters outside are starting to ask: Are you going to help them out if all of these things don't occur in the way they have said they are going to occur?

I said: After the appropriate period of review.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), who is the Democratic whip.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), who is the longest-serving member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), who is an extraordinary man. Our friend is the ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), who is a valued member of the Ways and Means Committee and the ranking member of the Tax Policy Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), who is a Vietnam veteran and a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), who is the chairman of the Democratic Caucus and a valued member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), who is a champion of any and all things Chicago.

Mr. Speaker, might I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close on this side, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, so in 1 month we have taken the entire revenue system of the United States without hearing from one expert witness, without having had one public hearing, without using any precedent, and we changed the entire tax system of the country, tilting it clearly to the people at the very top.

When they say, as they certainly will, ``We have been doing hearings for 5 years,'' we never had one hearing on this legislation. Not one. We did not seek testimony from one witness in the conference committee. We got to offer opening statements and no amendments. There was no chance for any input on our side.

More than anything else, this is a missed opportunity. This was a missed chance to take a system that we all know to have fallen into competitive failure across the globe. But instead, they decided to go it alone.

So here is the way you want to think of this, for those of you who are following this debate:

They are borrowing $2.3 trillion for the purpose of cutting the top tax bracket from 39.6 percent to 37 percent and calling that middle class tax relief;

They are doubling the exemption on the estate tax to $22 million and calling that middle class tax relief;

They are eliminating the alternative minimum tax for people at the very top and calling it middle class tax relief.

By the 10th year of this tax proposal, 83 percent of the benefit accrues to the people at the very top of our economic system. That is not in dispute.

They say things like: Well, in 5 years, we are going to correct this measure. Then they talked about the idea that somehow this was about simplicity. When you get into the phase-ins and the phaseouts, you are all going to pass out from trying to read this tax proposal.

The complexity they add to the system is unparalleled, all to secure a tax cut for people at the top.

So here we are in the holiday season, and they are telling us, by the way, that if we just borrow this money, everything is going to be fine.

What did they say about borrowing when Bill Clinton was President? What

did they say about borrowing when Barack Obama was President?

They lectured us, day in and day out, in an unyielding manner, even though the economic performance of Clinton and Obama outweighed the two Republican Presidents in between.

So here is the game plan for the holiday season. Do you know what the holiday hangover on your credit card is? People go out and use their credit cards, and they figure out all year how to try to pay for it.

It is going to take you more than 10 years to try to pay for this, all upon the spurious notion that they guarantee economic growth, as the President said, by the way, that is going to exceed 6 percent. That is 6 percent.

They are telling us that the stock market has gone up because of them, even though it has gone up since March of 2009. They are telling us now that this is going to spur unparalleled economic growth, even though the economy has been growing for 88 straight months, all on the credit card for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, this is the worst piece of legislation that has come from the House in the 29 years that I have served here, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1159, the United States and Israel Space Cooperation Act. The cooperation between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, and the Israel Space Agency is just one example of peaceful international cooperation that has been a hallmark of NASA's approach since its inception in 1958.

In fact, when Congress passed NASA's founding legislation, the Space Act of 1958, one of the primary objectives established for the agency was: ``7, Cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups of nations in work done pursuant to this act and in the peaceful application of the results thereof.''

NASA has followed this objective over the years in a variety of ways. Since its establishment in 1958, NASA has entered into over 5,000 original agreements with international entities, and currently NASA has over 800 active cooperative agreements across a range of disciplines with over 120 countries and international organizations.

These international partnerships have led to a range of benefits in scientific advancement, access to scientific data, partnering in exploration, and sharing the costs and risks of space missions.

NASA has had a long and fruitful relationship with the country of Israel, and that cooperative relationship continues to this day. Current activities with Israel include the involvement of almost 200 Israeli schools in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, GLOBE, educational project; collaboration on atmospheric and climate research; and numerical cloud modeling, among other activities.

I think it is also fitting to remember that the crew of the ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia mission, STS-107, included an Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who, along with the entire STS-107 crew, tragically perished with the loss of the space shuttle orbiter on February 1, 2003.

Israel has shared in the great achievements of NASA as well as great losses that have paved the way for future space explorers. Their sacrifice will be held in our hearts as we work to further space exploration for the benefit of mankind.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the sponsor of this legislation, Mr. Kilmer, for introducing the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1159) to provide for continuing cooperation between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Israel Space Agency, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1159, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the United States and Israel Space Cooperation Act deserves

our support. The peaceful use of outer space and cooperation with our friends and allies lie at the very heart of NASA's mission.

The United States has been a partner and a friend to the Israeli space program since its creation three decades ago. Our voyages have brought us closer together as nations, as partners, and as friends. Our shared quests for peace, knowledge, and friendship echo our experiences together on Earth.

But sadness and sorrow have tested that relationship. Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, flew to space for the first time on the ill- fated Space Shuttle Columbia. Even though that accident tragically ended the life of Ilan and six U.S. crew members, the U.S. and Israel turned that tragedy into hope, working together even more closely.

In 2015, the U.S. and Israel again renewed their partnership with another 10-year commitment to peaceful cooperation in space. That mutual commitment to the peaceful exploration of outer space has grown even stronger with the passage of this act under consideration today.

Peaceful space exploration offers all humanity a common, noble goal, extending our collective reach further into the heavens. Reaching farther and broadening our understanding of the universe is one of the most important and honorable challenges that we can face together. I believe that working together with our allies and partners on the peaceful exploration of space is an essential part of what makes NASA a vital national asset. This bill strengthens NASA's ability to do this important work.

I am also pleased that the bill includes a recognition that sensitive and proprietary information should be protected.

Mr. Speaker, I invite all of my colleagues to join me in support of the United States and Israel Space Cooperation Act.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.