[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]




    TAX CUTS FOR MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS PAID BY WORKING FAMILIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Ellison) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I really do believe that the American 
people deserve a tax system that invests in our people and our 
community.
  We need to have enough income and enough resources to make sure we 
are fixing our roads, our bridges, and our transit. We need resources 
to invest in scientific research for families who are wondering about 
what the answers just might be for their loved ones who have 
Alzheimer's or Parkinson's or whatever. We need to be able to defend 
our country. We need to be able to help people get a good education, 
healthcare, and housing.
  These are things that I believe are well worth investment in as a 
nation.
  Yet when we look at the Republican tax bill, we don't see a bill that 
reflects the needs of the country to take care of our people. What we 
see is a mass distribution from working people--middle class people--to 
the wealthiest Americans in the country.
  We need a tax reform--a real tax reform--that protects retirement 
security for today's seniors and future generations; that provides 
quality education, job training; that researches new medical cures and 
renewable forms of energy; and that supports our Nation's children.
  Mr. Speaker, we need a tax bill that supports America's families and 
that can help us do better and live higher quality lives.
  But, instead, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act--a bizarrely named piece of 
legislation because it doesn't do anything for jobs--is in front of us. 
It is what Republicans offer as tax reform.
  But here is what it does, Mr. Speaker: it moves more jobs overseas. 
This bill gives tax breaks to corporations offshoring jobs, driving 
down American wages.
  How many workers lay in the bed at night looking at the ceiling 
hoping and praying that the plant doesn't close? How do we explain to 
them that we are going to cut taxes for these big corporations that 
would incentivize them to offshore? How do we tell them that?
  Is that making America great again? I don't think so. It increases 
taxes for millions of Americans. Thirty-eight million middle class 
households will see an immediate tax increase--averaging $2,000 by 
2026.
  Is that what we had in mind when we started talking about tax reform? 
Absolutely not.

                              {time}  1100

  This Republican tax bill doubles taxes on American families by making 
folks pay Federal taxes on taxes you already pay to your State and 
local government.
  It is a good thing when local communities say: We are going to raise 
taxes on ourselves to meet local needs. When States and cities do that, 
they have been expecting for literally over 100 years that that would 
be deductible.
  Yet the Federal Government, under the Republican tax plan, wants to 
take that deduction away, which will have the effect of putting 
downward pressure on what local and State governments can raise to make 
their citizens' lives better, beginning a downward spiral. As the 
Federal Government pays less, the States and cities will get less, and 
you will see services for people go down the toilet.
  At the same time, you will see money not trickle down but geyser up 
to the richest Americans. Double taxation will drive down home values 
and limit local governments' ability to fund law enforcement--which is 
police, folks--schools, health services, and infrastructure.
  Medical expenses, Mr. Speaker. The GOP tax bill raises taxes on 
families who have children with expensive disabilities or adults who 
need expensive lifesaving treatment for longstanding disabilities 
because it eliminates the medical expense deduction.
  I had a lady named Carol, who is a senior, say: Look, I don't know 
how I am going to make it without this. I need this.
  She met with me in my office just Monday, and she pleaded with me to 
fight this Republican tax bill, specifically on the elimination of 
medical expenses.
  But what about student loans? We live in a country where there is 
massive student debt, Mr. Speaker. If you are one of the 40 million 
people with student loan debt, you will no longer be able to deduct the 
interest you pay on these student loans, plus it eliminates the 
learning credits that make your tuition affordable.
  As we all know, if you are rich already, you don't worry about 
student loan interest because you don't borrow the money, you just pay 
it. But what about the middle class of America? What about the working 
class people of America? What about folks who really need it?
  Mr. Speaker, as I wrap up, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on 
this Republican tax bill. It would have been nice to have real reform, 
but we are not getting it. Our only option is to eliminate this 
particularly sad piece of legislation.

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