[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 173 (Thursday, October 26, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H8258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE BUDGET AND TAX REFORM

  (Mr. SCHNEIDER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, just a month after the U.S. national debt 
surpassed $20 trillion for the very first time, today this House passed 
an irresponsible budget that will add a shocking additional $1.5 
trillion to that sum.
  This additional debt threatens our future prosperity and constricts 
our ability to respond to the challenges we face today.
  The cynical purpose of today's budget is to pave the way so partisan 
tax reform can be fast tracked through the Senate, but financing tax 
cuts that overwhelmingly benefit those at the very top by ballooning 
our Nation's budget deficits is exactly the wrong approach.
  We all agree our Tax Code is broken and needs reform, but true tax 
reform needs to be fiscally responsible.
  Rather than crafting plans behind closed doors, I urge my colleagues 
to reach across the aisle. Together, we can pursue reform of our Tax 
Code that focuses on the middle class, promotes entrepreneurship, job 
creation, and private investment, and supports public investment in our 
infrastructure.
  Let's bring this tax reform debate into the open and get this done 
for the American people.

                          ____________________