[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H9263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              GOP TAX CUTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New York (Miss Rice) for 5 minutes.
  Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to 
H.R. 1, a deficit-exploding tax cut for the wealthy that will hurt 
middle class families in my district.
  I am all for real, bipartisan tax reform that puts the middle class 
first, but that is not what this bill is. This is a giveaway to the 
wealthy and big corporations. It adds trillions to the debt and pays 
for it on the backs of the middle class.
  Half of my constituents on Long Island deduct their State and local 
taxes, an average of more than $23,000. Under this bill, that 
disappears. Corporations can still deduct their State and local taxes, 
but individuals and couples cannot. That means many middle class 
families will see their taxes go up, while the vast majority of relief 
goes to the people who don't need it: the wealthiest individuals and 
the biggest corporations.
  The National Education Association also found that eliminating SALT 
could lead to a $250 billion cut in education funding just in the State 
of New York over the next decade.
  Make no mistake: this bill won't help the middle class. It will 
explode the deficit, and Republicans will try to pay for it with big 
cuts to healthcare, education, Social Security, and other important 
lifesaving programs.
  I urge my Republican colleagues to give up this trickle-down fantasy 
and work with Democrats on real bipartisan tax reform that truly puts 
the middle class first.

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