Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me and for his work.

Mr. Speaker, it is only 4 days until Christmas. I look forward to going home and being with my family. I know every single Member in this body looks forward to that, too. I count my blessings that my family is safe and that I have a community and home to head back to.

There are people in this country who don't have that. Their homes were destroyed by wind, flood, and fires. Their communities were torn apart by hurricanes and flames.

Mr. Speaker, I had the somber privilege of traveling to these places. I went to Texas and spent time with Members from both sides of the aisle, seeing the flooded homes and streets filled with water. We visited NRG Stadium to meet the people forced to evacuate their homes.

I stood with Representatives like Sheila Jackson Lee, Al Green, Randy Weber, and Brian Babin. These folks don't often agree on much in politics. But you know what we did that day? We all promised to help the people of Texas.

I flew to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, and I would like to thank Delegate Stacey Plaskett and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon for welcoming us and opening the eyes of the Nation to what was happening.

In the Virgin Islands, we visited a hospital. The storm left half of it unusable. No dialysis machines. They had to come to the mainland. Nurses and doctors were working, doing the best they could to help people in the most difficult of circumstances.

In Puerto Rico, we were the first congressional delegation to visit the interior after the storm. We were with Members like Jeff Denham, Anthony Brown, and Norma Torres. We met people without power for weeks, low on food, low on medicine. We saw schools and homes destroyed and completely washed away.

We then went to Florida to see the other towns hit by Hurricane Irma, places that face storms year after year.

I returned to my home State of California with Congressmen Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman during the worst wildfire season our State has ever seen. We saw the fires rage up north, where it destroyed entire communities. Forty-six people have lost their lives in the fires in California this year.

You could see the devastation, block after block. Ash heaps of homes and trees, standing like barren pillars.

I met with firefighters down south, still battling what may become the largest wildfire in California's history. As it looks right now, they will still be standing on the front lines of those fires come Christmas day.

Every single place I went, Democrats and Republicans stood together. We saw the devastation together. We spoke to the suffering that the people were having together, and together we made a promise that we would return here to Washington and work hand-in-hand to help them as soon as possible.

That is why you heard Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, on September 26, say that he would ``work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Congress provides all funding necessary to ensure that all Americans affected by these storms can recover and rebuild.''

That is why he said on November 2 that he believes ``we can work together in a bipartisan way to ensure that the affected areas receive the resources they need from Congress.''

That is why I appreciated joining him in an op-ed piece that was in The Washington Post on November 8, where we wrote: ``We are determined to ensure that there is strong bipartisan support for the next supplemental emergency funding package so that affected areas, such as those we visited, have the resources they need.''

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke similarly. She signed a letter with Members across California saying to President Trump that: We look forward to working with you to ensure that all Americans who have been severely impacted by recent natural disasters across the United States receive the Federal support they need and deserve.

She told the Appropriations Committee that: Congress has an urgent responsibility to the California families, whose lives have been upended by disastrous wildfires.

I couldn't agree more with these statements. In the past few weeks and months, we did--we worked together. We analyzed the damage. We studied the requests from Governors and legislators. We even made significant reforms to respond to disaster in the most effective and responsible way possible.

The legislation today is the result. It provides funding for every single State and territory affected by natural disasters.

I remind all my friends from California that this legislation accommodates exactly what our entire delegation requested.

In all this work, we did it together in a bipartisan way; the way the American people expect this body to work.

Now, I know it is the habit of this town to play politics. Mr. Speaker, I do want to tell my friends on the other side: If they feel like they have to, play politics on tax cuts. Call it whatever you want to call it. Play politics on all the other legislation that comes to this floor.

But if I can request one thing: Please don't do it here. Don't play politics on a vote to give aid to the people of Texas; to the people of Puerto Rico; to the people of the Virgin Islands; to the people of Florida, and to the people of California, who are still fighting the fires.

Don't play politics on a bill that you are going to hope to maybe stop another. That would be the worst of any politics I have seen played here.

Mr. Speaker, I beg my friends on the other side: Please don't do what they did 2 weeks ago when they whipped against the funding bill to shut the government down. If they don't like tax cuts, I understand; vot against them. If they don't want to vote for the funding of the government and they want to shut it down, fine, take that vote.

But here and now, right before Christmas, don't vote against aid for Americans who just lost everything. They don't understand the politics in it. Don't vote against aid we promised to deliver. Don't vote against aid we worked so hard together to put on this floor.

Washington, D.C., can be far from our homes. We may all be dreaming of being home with our kids, eating Christmas dinner, opening presents, and enjoying time with our family and friends; but what we do here and now has consequences. What we do here and now will either give tens of thousands of people something to hope for this Christmas, or take that hope away.

We can deliver that hope if those who stood with me on the flood plains of Texas and on the burnt hills of California keep the promise they made. We can deliver that hope if those who worked with us for so long continue to work with us today.

People need our help. Vote to give them the help they need, the help we all promised.

Mr. Speaker, I rise for the purpose of making a scheduling announcement.

Mr. Speaker, Members are advised that these are the last votes expected in the House for the day, the week, the month, and the year.

Now, I want to thank all of the Members for their service to our Nation. I want to wish you and your families a blessed holiday and a very Merry Christmas, and I look forward to working with all of you in 2018.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank the gentleman.

Today, we will take a vote that every Member on this floor will remember. The country will remember. Then next year, when people check their checks and realize they have more money, they are going to remember who voted for status quo and who voted to make America's comeback.

I want to thank the chairman, Kevin Brady, for that work.

Now, Mr. Speaker, a month ago, when the House passed an earlier version of this bill, I said that, for all the jobless, for everyone who hasn't gotten a raise in years, for the parents, for the small- business owners, and for anyone who ever dreamed of being that entrepreneur and a small-business owner, we heard you. This bill is the start of their comeback, and when they win, well, that is the start of America's comeback.

Our country has faced some tough times. I don't have to tell you about that. And for too long, year after year, more and more Americans gave up hope. They were out of work. Or maybe they had a job, but they could not see past the next month or even the next week. They watched factories and businesses close up shop and move out, even moving out of the country.

Nobody wants to see their communities hollow out. Nobody wants to feel like they live in a nation in decline. That is not who Americans are. Frankly, Mr. Speaker, we are not a country that gives up on hope. This legislation and the Republican Party's entire economic plan, they are giving people hope.

You can see it in the stock market. For every American who vests their retirement in a 401(k), 84 times it has set a new record since last year's election alone.

You can see it in companies like Broadcom. You know, Broadcom was a company created in America, but they are not domiciled here today. They moved to Singapore simply over our Tax Code.

So for those who want the status quo and want to keep Broadcom in another country, go ahead and vote ``no.'' For those who believe in the hope of this country, even greater, looking at this bill, Broadcom said they are coming back to America.

Mr. Speaker, you know what that means? $20 billion in revenue in just a year. That means $3 billion every year invested in R&D; $6 billion every year invested in manufacturing. Those are jobs we all dream about, and the action of this bill is making it happen.

You can see it in the faces of families who learn that next year thousands of dollars that they earn won't go straight to Washington; it will actually stay right at home. And this is all in an environment of disinformation and fear-mongering. I mean, I have seen what has been said, and, to me, it is absurd.

Mr. Speaker, Leader Pelosi said that this bill was, and I quote, ``Armageddon'' and ``the end of the world.'' Now, Mr. Speaker, I listened a great deal to what my counterpart on the other side, the minority leader, has said, and I have read when The Washington Post analyzed what she had said.

Now, when you say something that could be a little off and don't have all the information, they have this rating for you. She has had a rating on this. She did not get one Pinocchio. She did not even get two. She didn't even get the extreme of three. She got the most Pinocchios you can say when it is totally false, four, for her conversation about this bill.

Mr. Speaker, in such times when the other side will say anything to win their political game, I recommend that folks actually look at the bill: doubling the standard deduction; lowering rates; simplifying the Code so you don't spend weeks, you spend minutes; doubling the child tax credit; ending the individual mandate; lowering taxes on small businesses to the lowest it has been in 40 years; creating incentives for business to invest and hire. That is not a recipe for Armageddon. That is hope for a nation to come back.

The American people see through all this rhetoric, and they are going to feel it next year when they check their paychecks and they see they keep more money because of the vote today. They are going to feel it next year and the years after and when they get that raise they have been waiting for. They are going to feel it more and more as companies announce coming back home. They are bringing jobs right back to the USA. They are going to feel it when we start looking to the future not with fear, but with hope.

I won't accept the status quo. But there will be some in this body who will vote for the status quo. I won't accept failure.

Now, I do not believe anybody in this body was elected to preside over America's decline. I recently was overseas, and I was sitting at a dinner table with some elected leaders from other countries, some Americans who were working in other countries, and I asked them: What is the impression of what is happening in America today? I thought the reports I would get would be a little different.

Do you know what they said to me? They said: America is back. You are now tackling big items again. Not only are you going to lead your own country, but you will help, again, lead the world. They were fearful of the competition of rising America one more time.

So don't vote for the status quo. Vote for a tax cut. Vote for reform. Don't vote because some leader whipped you and intimidated you. Vote for your constituents. Vote for your country, and vote to raise the paychecks of America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the House will meet at noon for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

On Tuesday and the balance of the week, the House will meet as early as 10 a.m. for legislative business.

Mr. Speaker, the House will consider a number of suspensions next week, a complete list of which will be announced by close of business tomorrow.

This list will include several bills from the Science Committee that are part of the House Innovation Initiative. These bills support Americans pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, with a focus on veterans and individuals historically underrepresented in those fields.

Mr. Speaker, my friend and I recently cohosted the third Congressional Hackathon, and I think he and I would agree that STEM education is an issue of national competitiveness, and I look forward to the House passing these bills next week.

In addition, the House will consider two measures from the Financial Services Committee. First, H.R. 4015, the Corporate Governance Reform and Transparency Act sponsored by Representative Sean Duffy. This bill will improve the quality of the proxy research while increasing transparency for public companies and their investors.

Second, H.R. 3312, the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act sponsored by Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer. This bill replaces Dodd-Frank's arbitrary thresholds with a process that analyzes each institution of its individual risk factors.

Mr. Speaker, the House will also consider the conference report to accompany H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act sponsored by Representative Kevin Brady. This historic legislation will cap off a 31-year journey to reform America's broken Tax Code. We will double the standard deduction, making the first $12,000 of income for an individual and $24,000 for a family tax free.

We will increase the child tax credit because investing in families is among the most important investments we make. We will reduce the tax rate on small businesses to the lowest rates that have been seen in 40 years. And we do all this while simplifying the Tax Code so Americans can file in minutes on a form the size of a postcard.

Republicans have championed cutting taxes and growing our economy for years, and I am excited to deliver this important promise.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, additional legislative items are expected, including legislation related to government funding and a number of other end-of-the-year priorities. I will be sure to inform all Members if additional items are added to our schedule.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

I expect the report to be filed online tomorrow. As you know, you have got to go through and make sure, from joint tax, filling in the dollar figures, and all anticipation is it will be online tomorrow for all of America to read.

Yes, that is accurate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

There were a lot of questions about the schedule. I took notes because there were a lot of things said, but let me first make sure I can try to get through all of them.

You first mentioned many times, what I did not mention. Now, I was asked a question, when would we vote on the tax bill, so I want to be very clear. I answered the question. I said, yes, we will vote on it Tuesday. You said you have heard that it could be Tuesday, so I just said yes, and I didn't mention others because I wasn't asked other questions. But now that you have, let's walk through this.

One of your first arguments was debt. Do you realize, in this progrowth, tax-cutting, job creation bill, if it just grows four-tenths of 1 percent, it pays for all of it?

But what is interesting here is--don't take my word for it--what happens every day to the market when they realize Congress and the Senate is 1 day closer to passing the tax bill? Everybody with a 401(k) gets a pay raise.

The market has set more than 59 records since the election and our movement to passing a tax bill, and that is for all Americans who invested. Everybody's retirement is getting a little better because of it.

Now, what about on the jobs perspective? Well, Broadcom, which was created in America but left America based upon the current Tax Code, on the day of the announcement of our tax bill, said: We are coming back. It is not just that we are bringing so many jobs back. We are going to spend $3 billion a year in R&D. We are going to spend $6 billion in manufacturing.

And that is $20 billion a year in revenue for that company that is going to pay taxes now in America.

But I wonder, that is a big company. Do you know what I just read the other day? A company announcing they are going to Syracuse, New York, based upon our tax bill.

Yes, things are changing in America. People are excited about it.

But it is not just those that are going to hire these thousands of Americans to work. I want to make sure it happens in Maryland as well, so I wanted to look at your district, so here we go. My good friend represents Maryland's Fifth. He has done it for quite some time. Here are a few facts.

Currently, you have 47 percent of filers in Maryland Five that take the standard deduction, so they will be better off because they will get a doubling the day the President signs it.

Another 11 percent have itemized deductions that are less than our new higher standard deduction, so they, too, will save. Not only are they going to save money, they are going to save time. Instead of spending weeks trying to fill out a tax form, it is going to be done in minutes. And you know when they fill out their tax form, they are going to get money.

But they don't have to wait until April 15. Not only in your district, but across this country, check your check come February, because you know what is going to be in that check? More money because the standard deduction goes up.

So that is 58 percent of my friend's district is better off on day one. But from what you tell me, you don't think that is good enough to vote for. A majority of your district is better off on day one. That is not even talking about the small businesses.

Do you know, the small businesses in your district, those that are earning $400,000, they are going to save $19,000. I know we are dear friends, but I am not sure if I have ever known that you have owned a business.

You know my background. When I was 20, I started my first business. There were three lessons I learned that have never left me: I was the first one to work; I was the last one to leave; and I was the last one to be paid.

This is going to create more entrepreneurship, more opportunity, and more people are going to be hired.

Now, I know you are worried about the debt, but it just strikes me, this year, you voted for a budget just a couple of months ago--I am not going to go back to another Congress--that increased the deficit by $6.8 trillion. So we are only worried about the debt at certain times?

Well, this bill is actually going to grow the economy, as we have watched quarter after quarter after quarter of the administration.

Now, I have got to make sure I got all of it.

You talked about hearings. We have had 59 public hearings. We printed out, before we even ran to continue the majority, about what we would do on tax.

But let's get to the core. That was your district. Let's say to all Americans, it doesn't matter where you live. So anybody, it doesn't matter if you sit on that side of the aisle, on this side of the aisle. It doesn't matter if you are Democrat, Republican, or you are a Socialist. It doesn't matter what you are. You are an American first.

And you know what your constituents are going to see? Let's take the average family, the average family of four, making $55,000. You can write this down. You know how much tax they are going to pay? Zero. Zero. But that still is not good enough for you.

It is very interesting, in my social science studies, what the party on the other side of the aisle used to say they were for. I believe, back in the day, if you would have stood up here and said, ``I have got a tax bill that is going to make sure the average family of four, on the first $55,000, is going to pay zero,'' they not only would be excited, they would vote for it.

And you talk to me about bipartisanship. I really think that is a question for you, bipartisanship.

Is it bipartisanship when we reach out to you about CHIP, about healthcare for children, a place not to play politics?

We even stopped a hearing and a markup that we had scheduled well in the future because you came to us, your side of the aisle, and asked us to because you thought you could come to an agreement. Then we were told by your leadership, no, nobody could vote for it. We put things in the bill that we thought you would even want, but, no, you still voted ``no.''

And how many times have you told me on this floor, I think it was just a few months ago--and I will quote you, if I may--about government funding, because I was concerned because I had read some articles in The New York

Times that suggested, ``as a minority party struggling to show resistance in an era of President Trump, the Democrats are now ready to let the lights of government go dark.'' I read that to you because I wanted to know was that true or was that false.

Well, you said to me, when I asked my friend whether that rumor was true, he replied: ``. . . nobody on my side is talking about wanting to shut down the government. We don't want to shut down the government'' was your quote.

You continued to say: ``I would assure my friend that it is neither our intent nor our desire. As a matter of fact, we want to work quickly to avoid that happening. That is not good for, obviously, the American people; it is not good for managers trying to plan on how to deliver services; and it is certainly not good for our Federal employees. So I would want to work with you to make sure that doesn't happen.''

Mr. Speaker, that was in March, just 9 months ago. I wonder what changed in those 9 months because just last week--and I tell my friend, there was no partisanship in putting a continuing resolution on the floor for 2 weeks. There was no poison pill on this side of the aisle. It was a clean one. And I watched, sitting at this desk, how the vote was going, and I watched the other side, Mr. Speaker. I watched people, not that they just voted ``no.'' They were whipped into the position to vote ``no.'' I watched the tally. And once that tally got past the magic number of 218, I watched my good friend put his thumb up, because he gave the okay to those 14 Democrats in his conference that were sitting there, that were told not to vote until it passed. I just wonder what happened to bipartisanship on something that is so bipartisan.

I know the thousands of Federal employees you have in your district, but that is just--I listened, Mr. Speaker, to the leader of the Democratic Party on the other side who said, just 2 days prior, the only person talking about the shutdown is President Trump. Well, the only person taking action and whipping to get to a shutdown was on this floor.

We have had open hearings, Republican and Democrats. We have had an open, bipartisan, bicameral conference. They have walked through an entire bill. We have made sure Americans are going to get a tax cut and jobs are going to be created. It is already happening before the bill is even signed.

I am not sure if I didn't mention something else, because you try to correct if something was not mentioned. But I want to make sure I answered all those questions for you because I know, not just in your district, that every family of four making $55,000 will pay nothing, that all the small businesses that are going to hire new people--and I differ from you.

Maybe you will whip strongly against it like you whipped strongly against the CR and keeping government open, But I still think, when I look upon that tally on the tax bill, I think there will be some on your side. And why do I think that? Because they told me so.

But I still think, when I look upon that tally on the tax bill, I think there will be some on your side. And why do I think that? Because they told me so.

The only difference will be, at the end of the day, if they don't, if you keep the strong arm, and instead of releasing the thumb up once it passes and put it down, that is the only reason we won't have bipartisanship on the floor that day.

But I believe in America. I believe in this floor, and I believe in the individuals who fight so strongly to get here to represent their constituents; that they know the new jobs in their district, they know how much those families will save, and they will not let politics get the best of them. They will go against the tide to stop it. They believe that it will even be better. I look forward to that day.

I also look forward to my friend coming back to the quote he told me 9 months ago, because you know what? It is close to Christmas. We have military men and women defending us. The gentleman talked about that bill the President recently signed that, yes, he worked to strong-arm with me, that is going to make government more effective, efficient, and accountable. It also had a pay raise for our men and women. And when he voted ``no,'' he told them they weren't getting their raise. But worse, he went even further.

The gentleman questioned whether they could actually have the funds to continue the battle where they needed to be. We have been through shutdowns. We know nobody wins. I believe what he told me 9 months ago. I just want him to come back.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I do look forward to these colloquies, and I first want to make sure history has it right. 137 economists sent a letter to Congress supporting our tax reform effort and saying it will accelerate growth. I don't know if the gentleman dislikes these 137, but these are economists. I don't judge the difference.

History says President Obama added more than $8 trillion to the national debt.

Now, how does that measure against all of the others?

Well, that is more than 43 prior Presidents combined. That is what history shows.

My friend is correct. He has been here much longer than I have. He actually had the majority for 40 years. He didn't balance the budget during that time. There was a common denominator that got the budget balanced in those 4 years, and that was the Republican majority who had to fight for it to get there.

The gentleman raised some other issues. He brought an issue up with a number of days. I don't think we should waste any time. He brought an issue up of we don't have a cap agreement to be able to work forward. It wasn't the gentleman, but it was his leader on the other side who decided not to go to the meeting at the White House.

The gentleman says that we should not waste our time on the floor. It wasn't this side, but we did have to take time up on this floor to make a motion to impeach the President. We took that time up on the floor. We didn't take the time up for CHIP and for the others.

I do remember the quote from my friend. We differ, sometimes philosophically, but we are friends and we are friends because I admire him. I admire principles. There are times when I have watched the gentleman stand for what he has said for years, and maybe his party has a different position. He doesn't hide from it. It is what he told the American public he would do, and he voted that way. And he will stand and oppose me because it is what he said in the past and what he said he would do.

But this is not something new. He has always said: ``Funding our government is not a game. When one side wins and the other side loses, a shutdown is not a political football to be tossed around so casually.'' I was personally shocked last week.

I wondered what would have happened as I watched your operation whip people to a ``no;'' as we watched the time click; as you watched, you held those who stood by the voting booth who wanted to vote ``yes'' but could not.

Had we not gotten enough votes to keep government open, would your side of the aisle have applauded? Would your side of the aisle thought they won victory?

And you do go back and it is correct, there were 90 Members on this side of the aisle who didn't vote for a CR, but you, like myself, understand a CR is usually a responsibility of both because it is bipartisan. No one is getting anything, and no one wants to end in that position.

We don't want to be in a CR and we don't want to vote for a CR. That is why we came to you so many times in the past when it came to CHIP. But, yes, I understand sometimes people can use it for politics. Let's push it all to the end so maybe we get an advantage with something else.

We wanted an agreement. That is why staff of those four leaders have been meeting, and actually came to a pretty close agreement.

So what do they do next?

Take it to the next level. Let's go to the White House because the White House has been in those meetings at the same time because the President has to sign the bill, the Senate, the House, and leaders on both sides. But when that meeting came just a few short weeks ago, your leaders wouldn't show up. And I take you at your word that you are willing to sit down. The rest of your leadership has to be willing to sit down, too.

But this idea that we want to hold government hostage, so many times I have heard the gentleman in the past say that was wrong. He asked about the things that haven't been done.

The thing I love the most--I believe in metrics. They have to be honest metrics. I will share them with you because I share them with our side of the aisle because I want us to be judged. I want us to know exactly where we are. And if we are not where we said we are going to be, we should actually work harder.

So I took the first Congress of every new President since George H.W. Bush. I wanted to see how many bills came through committee. Because the gentleman is right. When he read the ``Young Guns'' book--and I am not saying to buy it in any shape or form because I don't want to cause any ethics issues, but I don't get any money from it anyway. I give it to the veterans.

I don't even know if it is in print. I want the bills to come through committee because that is where the expertise is; that is where the open public process is; that is where amendments get to be offered, won or lost. More bills in a first Congress since George H.W. Bush have gone through committee.

Now, let's measure how many bills have gotten off this floor.

Does the gentleman realize that more bills have been passed out of this Congress than any Congress in the first term of a President in modern history back to George H.W. Bush?

And we did it by going through a transparent, open process; exactly what we pledged we would do in that book. So, yes, I am glad you read it and I am glad you took the words, and I would love to show you the graphs.

But let's walk back to this: government funding is important. Let's talk about it. Here are the facts: By mid-July, all 12 appropriations bills passed both subcommittee and full committee. That was July. On July 27, we passed the four appropriations bills off the House floor, which provided for critical national security. Now, my friend and nearly all of the Democrats voted ``no.''

On September 14, we passed the remaining eight appropriations bills off this floor. Now, my friend and nearly all of the Democrats voted ``no.''

But the most disappointing vote, as I mentioned, was last week on December 7 to fund the government. My friend and the Democrats all voted ``no.''

When I was young and I didn't always get my way, I would go to my parents and I would complain. But it is really odd that we got to this floor in a different nature, that someone would complain about something not getting done and never vote for anything.

Mr. Speaker, I like my friend. I want my friend, who, for decades, has talked about not playing games with the funding of government. I don't know where you have gone, but I want you to come back. I think America needs you back. I think that leadership will be important for both sides. And I will tell you, I would have been disappointed in you if I watched you applaud if you were successful in shutting down the government. Because I know that is not the man you are. I know that is not the person and the principles of what you stand for.

All of those votes that you said this side of the aisle didn't vote for, I stood and voted for those because leadership is different. We do take votes that are tougher than others. We do have to put politics aside, and we do have to look out for the best of this country. It may not be the mood of the politics on TV that maybe wants to fight more, or throw another motion on the floor to impeach, but there is a time that we should rise above.

I think going into the end of this year, we should think anew and act anew. I think America should not see a bad Christmas because one side of the aisle wanted to shut it down, and not for any other reason than they voted ``no'' on all of the bills that would have kept it open. If you had a cause, if you had a desire, and if you had a big desire, you would have shown up to the meeting to actually get the answer.

We could have a cap agreement. We could be done with it. We could make sure our men and women get the raises they deserve. We could make sure that those in battle theater have every opportunity so they are able to carry out their mission that we asked them to do in the safest manner possible. That is what I want to see.

Will the gentleman yield?

Let's make sure we are comparing apples to apples. That had a debt ceiling in it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

But if you are going to compare a CR that you said was simple, it is not simple. We all know that. If you are going to compare it to the CR that you voted against last week, that had no debt ceiling on it. You explained to me numerous times of how many CRs you voted for in the past in this body and how Democrats came over with Republicans. Because, you know what, you and I both know that is normally how it works.

A CR is not an advantage for one or the other. And this is what I am most upset with. Our Founding Fathers created a body that could have compromise. But for some reason, in today's society, it is not just that you want one side to win. You want to try to crush the other side. That is not crushing one side or the other. That is actually hurting the American public.

So in a situation where we know that a continuing resolution is going to be short term, in 2 weeks, yes, I would expect half of the votes to come from your side and half of the votes to come from ours. That is what has happened in the past. I am just wondering where that went.

Will the gentleman yield?

The gentleman is correct. There are many times we have worked together, on sanctions, on homeland and others. We work very well together.

The gentleman knows I came to you about CHIP when the committee was directed, on your side of the aisle, not to do anything with the majority party, so I came to you because of our history.

I came to the gentleman. I was under the impression. A Member came to me and said that. Maybe that is not true. Maybe that is not what Mr. Pallone wants.

But I came to you and said: Let's get together and work this out. I don't want to make CHIP partisan in any shape or form. We met, and we tried to work.

You came back to me and said: You have to go alone.

I said: That is not how I want to do it.

So what we did was we took everything we heard from the hearings. In good faith, the chairman of that committee, Greg Walden, stopped a markup because you requested--not you, but your ranking member. They weren't prepared. They wanted more time.

So we want to do everything in our power; but, at the end of the day, you couldn't be there. Twice, your side of the aisle voted against CHIP. You can't argue against it now. You voted against it.

When you talk about appropriations, I am very proud of what we did on appropriations. We haven't been able to do that in quite some time. But there were, in those first four bills--every single one of those 12 bills went through subcommittee and full committee. There were 126 amendments on the first four and 342 on the second.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

No. That is why I want you to join with me and get the Senate to move, because, as the gentleman knows, you don't control the Senate when you have 51 or 52 Members. Do you know what happens? It takes 60.

Now, I don't firmly believe in that, but that is the way they play it over in the Senate. That is why, when you don't have a cap agreement, that you need all four leaders to go to the White House. But when the two won't show up, the best thing to do is, is you don't show up, then don't complain I don't have an agreement.

The best way to complain is get all 12 bills off this floor with a simple majority. If that is good enough for America inside Congress, it should be good enough on the Senate side. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. So your side is able to hold it up, and I'm ashamed of that as well.

No. No. No.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

The gentleman is correct about compromise, but there is a real big difference between compromise and obstruction, to obstruct, when you talked about the Senate. It takes 60 votes to even get on to a bill. I know as well as my friend that you can utilize the Senate and the leadership of the House to stop something if you want to.

I will tell my friend that I am disappointed. What will you say to the 62,000? What will you say to the 62,000 Federal employees who live in your district? What will you say to them about every quote you made in the past that you should not play games with funding and shutting down the government?

You may think you can make that statement here. Your leader may think that she can say that only the President was talking about a shutdown. The President never whipped one vote to shut it down. He whipped it to stay open. History won't be kind.

Yes, we will come to a conclusion next week.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I understand what his words said. I also watched his actions. I also watched what he did last week to get Members to vote to keep it open because things did change. There was not compromise even though the bill was a compromise because there was no poison pill in it.

If we are going to carry everything ourselves, maybe we should put something in it. It was a compromise, but, unfortunately, you changed on the other side. You decided now is the time to shut the government down, try to blame somebody else.

The American people will see through that, and I will guarantee you that 62,000 people who work for the Federal Government in the Maryland Fifth District will not take that as an answer.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns on Friday, December 15, 2017, it adjourn to meet on Monday, December 18, 2017, when it shall convene at noon for morning- hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

Mr. Speaker, when dedicated people reach the end of a long and full career, they care to be remembered for more than what they accomplished, but for how they accomplished it.

Duane Dauner is a peace maker, a consensus builder, and a man with an uncommon mix of expertise and compassion. He is a man who has deservedly gained a local, statewide, and national reputation for his knowledge and abilities.

Duane has over three decades of experience as the President and CEO of the California Hospital Association, serving the most populous state in America with diversity to match its size. From rural expanses in the farms and deserts to the great cities along California's coast and interior, Duane has more than capably responded to the health care needs of the people of California.

Building on his experience in the Kansas Hospital Association and the Missouri Hospital Association, Duane came to California with a personal commitment to provide every Californian with equitable access to affordable, safe,

high-quality health care services. In large part because of his work and leadership, California experienced the slowest rate of health expenditure growth relative to the entire nation.

He took the lead to develop the Modern Pricing approach, a voluntary effort where hospitals can adjust their charges to develop a more user- friendly billing process. He improved the transparency of hospital data, helping to develop the California Hospital Assessment Reporting Taskforce (CHART), which adopted 50 hospital performance measures and still publicly reports hospital quality today. Under his leadership, the California Hospital Association established the 501(c)3 Hospital Quality Institute to prioritize initiatives that improve patient safety and quality.

His public recognition acknowledges his accomplishments. He has earned the American College of Health Care Executives highest honor, the Gold Medal Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Healthcare Executive of Southern California, and the Ludlam-Gamble Award from the National Health Foundation, among many others.

I, along with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, have both appreciated Duane's counsel and advice over the years, leaning upon him to inform our own health care policy decisions. The fact that we come from different sides of the aisle reflects not only the excellence of Duane's advice, but also the quality of his character.

Friends and colleagues have called him an ``elder statesmen,'' a ``careful listener,'' a ``decisive leader,'' and a man of ``resolute character'' with ``a work ethic that never wavers.'' Duane is a person who has always done more than his job required and did it well. While the people of California and the nation will miss his leadership, we are all the better that he spent so much of his life serving our state and country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the purpose of making a scheduling announcement.

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank all the Members for their flexibility in coming back to town this past Monday. As such, Members are advised that votes are no longer expected in the House tomorrow, Friday, December 8.

Members are further advised to be prepared for the House to be in session the week of December 18. First votes of that week will be expected at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 18.

We all know we have important work to do, including passing the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for the American people. I think that will be an excellent Christmas present.

If there are any further changes to our schedule, I will be sure to let all Members know.

I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, I will miss the colloquy tomorrow. I always look forward to speaking with my friend.

Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman knows, the Rules Committee has met, so we will see a Financial Services bill that they met on. Members will also get a list of all the suspensions. That will be by close of business tomorrow.

But the gentleman is right. There is a lot of work to be done. We have passed CHIP going forward. As the gentleman knows, in this bill that we just voted on, for those who voted yes, it continues funding for them for the rest of this year.

Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman knows, this House has passed all 12 appropriations bills, but we have more work to get done.

Knowing my friend is concerned, coming from the Appropriations Committee as well, I would hope you join with us. We would like to see the Senate take some actions. I know leadership from both sides of the aisle has just visited with the President. I hope we can come to an agreement so we can finish this out.

I also hope the gentleman would join with me in encouraging the Senate, not just on the appropriations bills, but the 352 bills that we have out of this House sitting over there.

Mr. Speaker, the part that the American people must know, most of those bills have very broad bipartisan support.

I am looking forward to a busy 9 days. It will not come up next week, but if it could, I would bring it up as soon as we come out of conference because I do believe the American people are waiting for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to continue what we have gone through.

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

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is right, we have a great amount of work to do. We just voted on a bill that, I will guarantee you, 221 Members on this side who carried it, was not the bill they were seeking. They do not want to look at the troops and say they are not funded and they are not getting their pay raise that we voted on earlier.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman, my friend, has told me, time and again, funding government is not a game. There was nothing in the bill that we just passed that both sides could not say that it was a bipartisan bill. There was nothing on our side of the aisle that we put into that bill that would give anybody on either side heartache.

But it was not a bill that we should have to have voted on, on this floor. We did 12 appropriations bills. We should not be voting for continuing resolutions. That is not why we are elected.

So let's do this. As we make our travel plans back, knowing that we will be back next week, let's make a commitment to one another, let's make a commitment to this country, that we will get our work done, that we will find the common ground, that we will not whip against a bill just to try to shut a government down, but will find the very best that this body could come to conclusion with, and that means funding our troops, and I look forward to working with all of you in the coming weeks.

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, not to continue a debate, because I know people have places to go, but you said we needed 218 to show it. We just showed 221. But the one thing I will tell you, when you talk about bipartisan, when you talked about that CR, 133 on this side voted for it; more than the majority of the majority. That is where bipartisanship comes.

I can sit back and we can rehash how many times we met about SCHIP. We can rehash coming to you and saying: Tell me where you want to go with that at the end of the day.

We can rehash where your ranking member asked us to pull back on the markup, and we did. But they still never came. I don't need to rewrite history and I don't need to walk away from where we tried to get to.

I am proud of the fact that we were able to pass it, with or without you. But we wanted you with us. You made the decision not to be with us, and that is okay. That is your decision. But, today, when you talked and bragged about all of the other times you were there, my only question is: What is different today?

Let's not make today continue for the future. Let's find the way that we work together. But at the end of the day, when they look back in history, there will be 221 on this side and there will be 175 on the other side that said government should shut down; and I don't think that is right.

I hope you have a good weekend.

Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the resolution on the table.

Mr. Speaker, Members are advised that votes are now expected in this House on Monday, December 4, at 6:30 p.m. Members should be prepared to vote on the motion to go to conference and the motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

I strongly encourage all Members to be here present and voting. If there are any further changes to the schedule, I will be sure to let all Members know.

I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman does know--we have talked many times--about our issue not only just on security but also when it comes to DACA, and we know that deadline is not approaching by the end of this year.

My good friend does know the deadline of government funding that affects all Americans. I take my friend in a serious manner, but I would say my severe disappointment in what transpired this week when an opportunity to meet with all leadership--my friend talked about the number of days we have. This is not a time to play politics. This is not about one party or the other.

I would be glad to hear the support and opposed. You just have to show up for the meeting. I think more outcome would happen if you show up to the meeting.

Tomorrow I will be announcing a full legislative schedule. I am excited about the opportunity to let America keep more of their hard- earned money and get us working again.

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

Will the gentleman yield?

My friend is correct on a lot, but understand one thing. In this job and when we run, we are passionate about our beliefs. My parents always told me: If you can't handle the heat, you probably shouldn't run.

But the one thing that should happen here is, if we want to come to a conclusion, just as you and I and my good friend sat yesterday in my office talking with the White House on our concerns about the hurricane that came to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, the only way you solve a problem is you come together. The only way you come together is you show up in the meetings and you can air your differences.

But at the end of the day, when we walk into this House, we don't walk in as Democrats or Republicans. We walk in as an American. It is about time we put the people before politics.

We have got a shorter time to do our job. I look forward to seeing people here Monday. I look forward to seeing us get our work done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague Congressman David Valadao, to recognize and pay tribute to Les Clark on his retirement this month as Executive Vice President of the Independent Oil Producers' Agency (IOPA) after 37 years of dedicated service to the ``mom and pop'' oil producers in Kern County.

Les began his career in the very heart of California's Central Valley. After graduating from Taft High, he played football for Taft College and later baseball at California State University, Fresno. Shortly after leaving for school in Fresno, Les found himself back in the Kern oil patch, where he was first introduced to the oil business that he would go on to leave an incredible impact upon. Les had taken drafting classes at Taft College and was subsequently recommended by the school when Belridge Oil Company, in need of draftsmen, offered him a position where he gained a wealth of technical knowledge and hands-on experience.

With this experience and a well-established reputation as a down-to- earth, no-nonsense communicator, Les became the Executive Vice President of IOPA. In this position, he worked not only to move IOPA members' crude oil to refineries across the state, or as he would say to the ``majors,'' but he also doggedly and passionately pursued their public policy interests at the Federal, state and local levels of government--in our state, that's no easy task. With a myriad of Federal regulations layered on top of byzantine state regulations that oil producers come up against daily, Les quickly became a regulatory expert learning complex issues and government procedures to advocate for his members.

One just has to walk into Les' office and see the stacks of paper- filled boxes and files piled on his desk--not to mention the giant model wooden oil derrick--to recognize his wealth of knowledge accumulated over a lifetime of dedicated service to the Kern oil patch. Sitting in those old wooden chairs across from his desk as we discussed the important issues facing Kern County's small oil producers, Les knew where every file was while answering his flip phone that rang nearly constantly to close a deal or put out a fire for one of his members.

In addition to his work for IOPA, Les is an active member of the Bakersfield and Kern County communities. Whether it was serving as a Taft Union High School Trustee to being a president of the Kern County Fair or the Taft Chamber of Commerce to chairing the West Side Hospital Foundation to being a board member of the Fresno State Alumni Association or Cal State Bakersfield Foundation, in addition to the many state and local advisory boards he participated on, he always made sure to focus on his family.

Les founded the Ponytail Softball League enabling the girls of Taft-- including his daughters--to learn and enjoy softball. He is also in the Little League Hall of Fame for his service in coaching Taft little league teams, something he did for more than 30 years. Les coached baseball for Taft College and was a football referee for over 20 years. Many people may not know, but Les played competitive fast-pitch softball and semi-pro baseball for the Kern County League.

From my time working for former Congressman Bill Thomas, to when I served in the California State Assembly and now in the United States House of Representatives, I have always sought and appreciated Les' counsel, wisdom, and friendship. His larger-than-life personality and dry wit always made our conversations engaging and memorable. He always cut right to the crux of an issue and had a clear vision of where he wanted things to go. And, Les never shied away from telling me when he thought I was wrong or why some new Federal or state regulation was hurting his members, all the while leaning back in his chair, arms folded in front of his chest.

As Les enters this new chapter of his life, I'm sure he's looking forward to spending more time with his family, including his wife of 52 years, June, two daughters, Tessa and Kerrie, son ``Little Les,'' ten grandchildren, Arizona, Ayana, Cash, Darius, Easton, Keelan, Logun, Sierra, Tanisha, and Willow, and great granddaughter, Zaria.

Les exemplifies how one can serve their community and become a living legend through that service--everyone in Bakersfield and the Taft community knows him and appreciates his passion and leadership for our region. We all wish him the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank the gentleman. I want to thank him for all those Americans out there who have waited decades for this, for the hours that he has listened, for the numerous hearings he has gone through to get us to this day.

Mr. Speaker, I stand before this body, but I want to speak to the people watching us at home right now and who will hear us in the hours and days to come. I want to speak to the people who stretch their budgets to get to the next paycheck. I want to speak to the people who are starting to wonder if the American promise no longer applies to them.

You need a comeback. America needs a comeback.

If we are successful today and in the weeks to come, you will keep more of the money that you earned. You will have more in your paycheck. Your life will improve. If we succeed, you will succeed, but if the leaders and obstructionists on the other side of the aisle win, you will lose. You see, they want Washington insiders and bureaucrats to keep more of your hard-earned income. They think it is theirs to spend. We think it is yours.

Now, I have tried my best to understand their opposition, and I have listened to the pessimistic leaders of a party that once upon a time claimed they stood for the common man.

Without a shred of evidence, they are certain our plan won't work. They drum up a stale argument from 30 years ago, saying all this bill does is help the rich. They call it a middle class tax hike.

That same paper our colleague just held also has fact checkers, but the fact checkers gave them not one, not two, not even three, but the most Pinocchios you can give, four, for that lie.

Every honest person sees this as a tax cut for hardworking Americans. This bill increases the child tax credit, increases the standard deduction, increases wages, and is already bringing back jobs to America.

The fact is the first $55,000 an average family of four earns will not face a single penny of income tax, not a single penny.

So what are these party leaders defending by their opposition?

It is not the people. After all, there is not a single person I have ever met in this Nation who wants higher rates, lower wages, fewer jobs, and a more complicated Tax Code. No, they aren't defending the people.

They are defending loopholes for the special interests, corporate welfare, and carve-outs for lobbyists. They are defending the abusive tactics of the status quo at the IRS.

You know what I find most absurd? They are defending the reckless tax-and-spend policies of broken States across this country. They have made it their mission to increase taxes on our fellow citizens. My friends on the other side of the aisle have the audacity to call this a tax increase. In the end, they are defending a broken status quo.

You know what I think, Mr. Speaker? I think that voting ``no'' on a plan with lower taxes, higher wages, more jobs, and a simpler system, that isn't about Republicans and Democrats. Voting ``no'' is telling the American people you do not have faith in them to rise if they are given a fair shot.

Mr. Speaker, I have a simple question for this House and for everyone who is watching at home: Do you want higher taxes and less money in your pockets or do you want lower taxes and more money?

I think we have sent a message to the doubters and the critics. The American people do not want hard work to be punished. We do not accept decline. We do not accept that Washington knows how to spend our money better than we do.

I have a different message for the American people: To those trying to find a job, that long search is coming to an end. This is your comeback.

To those sick of just getting by and fighting for a raise, this is your comeback.

To those struggling to keep your small business afloat, to pay your employees, to help your neighborhood, this is your comeback.

To every American who ever dreamed of being an entrepreneur and owning a small business, this is your comeback.

To every mother and father starting a family, raising your kids, and trying to give them more of an opportunity than you ever had, this is your comeback.

Now, I put hope in the American people. This bill puts hope in our American people because we trust the people. That is the start of America's comeback.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the House will meet at noon for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday and Wednesday the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. On Thursday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business.

Mr. Speaker, the House will consider a number of suspensions next week, a complete list of which will be announced by close of business tomorrow.

In addition, the House will consider the conference report to accompany H.R. 2810, the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. This bipartisan agreement will strengthen our military, give our men and women in uniform a 2.4 percent pay raise, and ensure America's fighting forces have the resources they need to secure peace both at home and abroad.

I want to thank Chairman Thornberry and the entire House Committee on Armed Services for their hard work on this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, the House should also look forward to voting on the most significant tax reform in over three decades, H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, sponsored by Representative Kevin Brady.

America is among the highest taxed nations in the developed world. Americans pay more in taxes than we spend on housing, clothing, and food, combined.

Our current Tax Code is almost 2,600 pages long, with an additional 70,000 pages of forms and other regulations. That is just unacceptable.

We want to see economic growth in this country. Instead of ``closed for business'' signs, we want to see ``now hiring'' signs.

We want to double the standard deduction.

What does that mean?

It means, for every American, the first $12,000 of income for an individual is tax free; for a couple, that is $24,000 tax free.

We want to simplify the Tax Code so you can file it in minutes-- instead of spending weeks--on a form the size of a postcard.

We want to bring back the trillions of dollars of American wealth that is forced to sit overseas, have it come back to America and invest in Americans.

That is what voting for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will accomplish. That is why I look forward to the House passing this critical bill without delay.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, additional legislative items are possible in the House. If anything is added to our schedule, I will be sure to inform all Members.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I would not use that term, ``substantial,'' because, as you know, we have gone through this process for quite some time. We are all writing to the same number: $1.5 trillion. But, as you know, any bill, when it moves through regular order, where it gets introduced in committee and we have a markup, just as Ways and Means has done all week long--they will come to the final vote today--whatever amendments pass will be added.

You will then see that bill posted. You will then, next week, see the Rules Committee take it up, and then you will see that bill on the floor, just as with any other regular order bill in the process.

Mr. Speaker, for the last three decades, we have done that, and I don't think the American people want to continue to wait.

I know we go through this every week, time and again, and so I can quote you back the number of hearings. I can quote you back what people even ran a campaign on and put out to the American public. But what is most important that I can quote to you is the lack of growth that has happened, how much people have to pay in taxes, the trillions of dollars that are sitting overseas.

What I have found time and again, and I know we have talked about this before, but just by the introduction of our bill, I was sitting in the Oval Office last week and there was a company there, Broadcom, that was created in America, but because of our Tax Code, they were forced to leave America to try to be competitive.

They looked at this bill, and they told me a couple of days before: If you really believe this bill is going to pass, we will come back.

When they come back, that is $20 billion in revenue each year. They will spend another $3 billion each year on R&D. Then they will spend $6 billion in manufacturing.

The gentleman and I have had so many discussions about how to bring manufacturing jobs back. That is why I am so excited about this bill coming to the floor the next week.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I am a little confused that the gentleman is not enthusiastic about this bill. I have read what some people on the other side of the aisle have said about this bill. I heard one phrase that the gentleman recently used about the middle class. I would just caution my friend in inferring anything negative to the middle class with this bill because there were some on the other side of the aisle that made some comments.

Like most things we say, we get fact-checked. The Washington Post, to a few Senators and my own Senator from California, tried to claim this was poor for the middle class.

Do you know what happened?

She did not receive one Pinocchio, she did not receive two Pinocchios, and she did not even receive three Pinocchios. She received four Pinocchios on that statement. That is the most Pinocchios you can get.

Mr. Speaker, if I may, I wanted to do the research. I wanted to look. Is this tax bill good for all of America? Especially because I want the gentleman to be enthusiastic about it, I looked at Maryland's Fifth District. Now here are just a few facts:

Currently, in the Fifth Congressional District of Maryland, 47 percent of the filers take the standard deduction. So not only will they be better off, it will actually double, and they will see the increase in their pay on day one, January 1.

Another 11 percent have itemized deductions. They will no longer with our new higher standard deduction, so they will also save more money, not to mention the time and confusion by not having to itemize. That means, before we even look at lowering tax rates, 58 percent of my friend's district is better off on day one.

Now, how about the median family of four?

A median family of four in Maryland's Fifth Congressional District earns $123,000. For the 20 percent of those families that don't itemize today, they will receive a tax cut of $5,000. For the 80 percent who are itemizing today, they will get, on average, $2,200 in a tax cut.

But those are not the only people I am worried about. How about the single mother who is earning $30,000 in your district?

Well, she will no longer have to pay any tax under this plan. In fact, she will receive a refund of about $500 to $700.

How about the small business, the entrepreneur, the factory creating jobs?

The small-business owner making about $400,000 in Maryland's Fifth Congressional District will see a savings of nearly $19,000.

So what I am confused about is: How can't you be excited about this bill?

In short, Mr. Speaker, to the people not just in my friend's district, but all of America, let me state this: under our plan, the average family of four earning $55,000 a year will not pay any tax.

For so many days and so many years, I have heard from the other side of the aisle and my friend talking about the middle class. We have a bill that is on the floor that is going to help the middle class, the single mother not to pay any tax and getting money back; the median family there getting $5,000 back; the small business getting 19--I don't know how much more we have to do to get my friend excited, but next week he will have the opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I just caution the gentleman on some of the things that he says because I do not want him to end up with any Pinocchios. The gentleman knows my fondness for him. Just today in The Washington Post we had a joint editorial about our trip down to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and to the Keys in Florida.

The one thing I do want to say to the gentleman is I know he mentioned a few people in the very beginning, NFIB, whether they support the bill or not, I say: Just stay tuned.

When the gentleman talks about will there be changes in the bill, this is the process. When you go through committee, do you not want to have the committee to have input?

So there will be some changes. Substantially? No. But I do want to also advise my good friend--maybe I could refer the gentleman to clause 5(a) of rule XXI of the House Rules. That will tell my friend how a bill comes to the floor coming out of the Ways and Means Committee when it deals with taxes.

Now, I know the gentleman talks about debt. I know the gentleman brought up teachers, that it is a $250 tax credit. The only concern I have is that it is only in Washington that they could be opposed to a bill because they think we are eliminating a $250 tax deduction while we are giving somebody $12,000 more tax free. There is a lot more there going around, and I think that is a much bigger gift. If you ask the American public what they wanted, I will guarantee you which side they would pick.

Now, the gentleman talks about debt--and I have great respect for my friend--but just a few weeks ago, the gentleman voted for a budget that called to raise taxes by $3.9 trillion. That same budget would also increase the deficit by $6.8 trillion--that is not what the gentleman said on the floor; that is what he did on the floor--over 10 years. It assumed a $764 billion deficit in 2027.

Now, we had a budget on our side. A budget lays out the framework for the future. The Republican budget resulted in a $197 billion surplus in 2027 and a $2.6 trillion deficit over 10 years. So I am concerned about the budget, and my votes show that. I want to put us on a path where we balance.

We had this debate just a couple weeks ago, and that debate set up the mechanism to go to tax. And the one thing I have learned time and again--and my friend and I have had this discussion--we have got to protect the entitlements for the future, but we know that is what is going to break us if we don't do something about it.

We have got to grow the economy. As we have watched the history of America, every generation has improved on the generation before it. But 75 percent of Americans believe this generation will not.

Why?

Because of the last 10 years. It has been our lowest growth that we have seen in decades. We have always averaged more than 3 percent GDP, but we didn't then. We have just gone through two quarters at 3 percent where we had five hurricanes.

I watched the Atlanta Fed look at this and say that we could be above 4 percent.

Do you know what opportunities we have?

So it just won't be the Maryland Fifth District that is getting that money back or the small businesses that are hiring more with that $19,000.

But imagine what that family will do with that $5,000. They will get to determine that. They will buy more than just a pencil. They will invest in their kids' future.

So I think that it is an opportunity for all of us to come together, put people before politics, and let's make sure this bill goes out in a very strong vote.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

The gentleman does know that we have put a task force together. I happen to serve on that task force. We have met over a half dozen times.

It is true that when the President made his decision, he made it based upon whether it was legal or not for an action the executive branch took. The courts said it was not. So it was, rightfully so, moved back into this body, which is the legislative body.

He gave us 6 months to get the job done. That i what we are continuing to work on. I look forward to continuing to work with the gentleman to get this done. I believe we will be able to.

There is one point I do want to bring up to points the gentleman made prior. I do know that he is concerned about this.

As the gentleman does know, if we just get 1 percent of growth in the GDP, that will add over a trillion dollars of extra revenue. The Atlanta Fed is already saying we are going to get 1\1/2\ trillion dollars. Who knows how high we can go, but I would never want to put a ceiling on America. I will always bet on America. I just want to unshackle the things that hold us back.

You are correct; you talked about how we now have the lowest unemployment in decades. For the 58th time since the election a year ago, the stock market broke a record. Business confidence is at an all- time high.

Most of that is happening because America has the anticipation of us passing a tax bill. That is why I think this is a moment that will be significant for every Member.

They will look back on their vote for next week as one of the most important votes they would ever take. What is the future you want to have for your children; what is the opportunity you want to give them?

Did you put the rhetoric aside; did you look at the bill based on constitutionality; did you look at the bill based upon your own constituents?

Take your partisan hat off, and when you look at that at the end of the day, if it empowers your small businesses, if it gives every American more money in their own pocket, if the projections are that it is going to grow the economy, do what is right. Do what is right for America, and I believe, at the end of the day, history will treat you well.