[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 23, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               TAX REFORM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on one final matter, while the press 
was focused on the unfortunate lapse in government funding, the good 
news about last month's historic tax reform law continued to pile up. 
The number of Americans preparing to receive pay raises, special 
bonuses, and other benefits, thanks to the historic tax cuts passed 
last month, continues to grow. These are just the first fruits of a law 
that also lays a long-term foundation for better job opportunities, 
higher wages, and more investment.
  On this subject, here is something that not many have realized yet. 
Even the Democrats' government shutdown couldn't keep this Congress 
from finding new ways to cut taxes and let the American people keep 
more of their hard-earned money. Included in yesterday's bipartisan 
bill was an additional $31 billion in tax cuts. Specifically, we 
delayed three onerous taxes that were created as part of ObamaCare.
  Last year, as part of comprehensive tax reform, we repealed the 
unfair individual mandate tax at the heart of ObamaCare. Now we have 
taken care of three more. One was ObamaCare's deeply unpopular tax on 
medical devices. Another was the so-called ``Cadillac tax,'' which 
Senator Heller of Nevada has worked hard to delay. That tax penalizes 
employers who offer generous benefits. The third, simply called the 
``health insurance tax,'' makes plans more expensive.
  All three of these taxes are unpopular. All are key pieces of the 
failing ObamaCare health law. Now, because this Congress is so intent 
on saving the American people money, all three of them will be delayed.
  Personally, I liked the way the New York Times put it. Their headline 
read: ``There's a Surprise in the Government Funding Bill: More Tax 
Cuts.''
  Here is the story's first line: ``Congress is apparently not done 
cutting taxes, even after passing a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul last 
year.'' I couldn't say it better than the New York Times.
  The Senate is never done looking for new ways to take money out of 
Washington's pocket and to put it back in the pockets of the American 
people.

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