[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 152 (Friday, December 12, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1816-E1817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SUPPORTING AMERICA'S CHARITIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 10, 2014

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, it is with some degree of frustration 
that I voted no on H.R. 5806. I strongly support some of the individual 
provisions; indeed, I am the leading Democratic cosponsor of the 
provisions relating to charitable contributions from individual 
retirement accounts.
  I have been a leading supporter of land trusts, working closely with 
them to fix challenges raised by application of the estate tax for 
instance, and broadly supporting their work across the country to 
protect and preserve our nation's heritage and open spaces. I have 
worked hard to improve resources for Oregon's food banks and to end 
hunger both at home and abroad.
  Today, we are abandoning any semblance that this Congress is going to 
work on major accomplishments before we adjourn.
  With this and similar tax extender votes, Congress appears to have 
given up on deficit reduction, despite my colleagues otherwise 
voracious appetite for it--an appetite that led to House Republicans 
attempting to cut nutrition assistance to poor Americans by $39 billion 
last year. Section five of this bill, in fact, specifically strikes the 
Republican's own PAY-GO rules. Budget-busting proposals are roaring 
through here with no semblance of honoring the Republicans' own budget 
rules or their budget resolution.
  With this and similar tax extender votes, Congress appears also to 
have given up on tax reform because we are not going to be

[[Page E1817]]

able to have meaningful tax reform if we are just willy-nilly going to 
rush all these provisions through.
  My colleague, Chairman Camp, worked for years to produce a deficit-
neutral tax reform, which had much to commend it, and I commend him for 
his hard work. All of these provisions of tax extenders were addressed 
in his tax reform, but they were dealt with differently. Not all were 
extended permanently. Some were modified and some were repealed, as 
part of a deliberative process to evaluate their impact and to not 
break the bank. This vote--like similar unpaid for permanent tax 
extender votes--abandons that effort.
  This bill is not going to be enacted into law as the President's veto 
threat makes clear, and Congress will pick up where it left off--and 
frankly, where Mr. Camp left off--as we work with our colleagues in the 
other body and our constituents to move forward on the things that we 
are all committed to in a way that is fiscally responsible, is 
bipartisan and thoughtful, to get the outcomes we all share.

                          ____________________