[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 13, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1645-S1646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               TAX REFORM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it has been less than 3 months since 
historic tax reform became law. It has been less than 3 months since we 
have cut taxes significantly for middle-class families by lowering 
rates and increasing the standard deduction, since we created new 
deductions to help small businesses keep more of what they earn and 
purchase new equipment more easily, and since we leveled the playing 
field for American producers by making our corporate tax rates more 
competitive--a measure that mainstream economists agree will boost 
future wages for workers.
  There is a common theme here. Each part of this bill was built on the 
simple idea that American workers, job creators, and middle-class 
families know best what to do with their own hard-earned money, and 
they ought to be able to keep more of it. It is a defining philosophy 
on our side of the aisle.
  Our Democratic friends don't seem to share that notion. The 
Democratic leader in the House called these historic tax cuts 
``probably one of the worst bills in the history of the United States 
of America.''
  In the Senate, my Democratic colleagues' predictions were equally 
dire. My friend the Democratic leader offered this assessment: ``There 
is nothing about this bill that suits the needs of the American 
worker.''
  Tax reform used to be a shared, bipartisan priority--apparently, not 
anymore. Now our Democratic friends seem fully committed to the notion 
that there is no problem Washington, DC, can't solve by raising taxes 
and imposing more regulations.
  Just last week, my friend the Democratic leader made this clear. He 
announced that he wants to claw back tax reform and have Americans send 
more money to the IRS.
  Here is his rationale: There are much better ways to use this money--
much better ways to use this money than for people to keep more of 
their own money, apparently. The unspoken assumption is unmistakable: 
Democratic leaders know how to spend that money better than the 
citizens and employers. The government knows best.
  Of course, just a few months in, we are getting a clear picture of 
which philosophy really works. The good news about tax reform keeps 
pouring in, and with every favorable story, my Democratic friends tie 
themselves in knots trying to convince everyone that new investments, 
new jobs, new raises and bonuses, and companies repatriating money back 
home are somehow not good news after all.
  Even as billions of dollars are put toward raises, bonuses, and new 
worker benefits, it is nothing more than ``crumbs.'' Even as billions 
more are invested in U.S. manufacturing and new jobs, they stick by 
their predictions of ``Armageddon''--all of this, even as tax reform is 
achieving specific goals they spent years claiming to support.
  Consider the issue of the minimum wage. Because of tax reform, Hormel 
Foods has raised starting pay to $13, Wells Fargo has established a $15 
minimum wage, and Walmart has raised the starting wage for its 
associates. That is great, but, apparently, Senate Democrats have 
better uses for the money going forward than your raise.
  Take the subject of family leave. Because of tax reform, including 
the family leave incentive championed by Senator Fischer, huge national 
employers

[[Page S1646]]

such as Starbucks and CVS are expanding paid family leave programs or 
creating new ones.
  These new family leave programs are great, but I think Senate 
Democrats have other designs on the private dollars financing these 
programs. They have better uses in mind for the tax savings that are 
flowing to charities and nonprofits around the country, like the 
women's shelter in Washington State that is getting $1 million toward a 
brand-new building.
  Well, Republicans just don't see it that way. Rather than trying to 
regulate our way into prosperity through higher taxes and heavyhanded 
mandates, we believe in simply taking Washington's foot off the brake. 
Because we did, American free enterprise is creating the very pay 
raises and benefits that our Democratic colleagues insisted only 
government could provide.
  My friends across the aisle may want to repeal the tax cuts that have 
generated these raises, bonuses, new jobs, new investments, minimum 
wage increases, and paid family leave expansions. They may want to 
raise taxes so badly that they are willing to shrink workers' paychecks 
and send jobs and investments back overseas. Fortunately, Republicans 
in Congress will not let that happen. We are standing with the American 
people.

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