[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H9267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO CRAFT A TAX REFORM BILL

  (Ms. TSONGAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the House will vote on H.R. 1, the 
so-called Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which Republicans say will support 
America's middle class. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
  Middle-income Americans will receive, at best, one-fifth of the 
promised benefit of these tax cuts.
  According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, H.R. 1 will raise 
taxes on 36 million hardworking middle class American households.
  It scraps benefits our families depend on, like the student loan 
interest and medical expense deductions. Imagine, in a time when access 
to higher education is critical to a family's economic well-being, 
making it even more expensive.
  This legislation was written behind closed doors, in secret, without 
Democratic input and without any hearings.
  Mr. Speaker, a bill to overhaul the Tax Code, the results of which 
will affect every American for decades to come, deserves open and 
transparent consideration. I urge my colleagues to work together to 
instead craft a tax reform bill that truly lifts up the middle class 
and invests in our future.

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