[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 99 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S3930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               TAX REFORM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on one final matter, day after day and 
week after week, more evidence piles up that Republicans' overhaul of 
the U.S. Tax Code is igniting new growth and increasing opportunity all 
across our country.
  Here is what tax reform means to middle-class Floridians. It means 
thousand-dollar bonuses for all 26 employees at Spellex Corporation, a 
software company in Tampa. It means an 11-percent increase in the base 
wage at a bank with more than 600 locations all across Florida. At a 
brewery, it meant the flexibility to purchase $100,000 in new capital 
equipment and hire two additional employees. For the customers of 
Florida Power & Light, it meant a lower monthly bill. The utility had 
planned to implement a new surcharge for rebuilding after Hurricane 
Irma, but tax reform let them cover the cost of the entire rebuilding 
themselves and kept that added burden off of the shoulders of 
Floridians. These are just a few of the ways tax reform is helping 
jump-start prosperity up and down the State of Florida.
  Florida's junior Senator, Mr. Rubio, voted to pass this once-in-a-
generation law. It is too bad his colleague, the senior Senator from 
Florida, stood with every single Democrat in the House and in the 
Senate and tried to block these tax cuts from reaching the American 
people. Apparently, he preferred that more middle-class families' money 
remain with the IRS. I would call that a curious decision. Perhaps our 
Democratic colleagues don't quite understand the importance of a 
thriving economy.
  We recently heard some revealing comments from the House Democratic 
leader. Here is what she said:

       Hip hip hooray, unemployment is down. What does that mean 
     to me and my life?

  Unemployment is as low as it has been since 1969. There is soaring 
confidence from consumers and small businesses. There are more job 
openings than Americans looking for work for the first time in at least 
20 years. No big deal, say our Democratic colleagues. Nothing to see 
here. Do they really think an outstanding job market doesn't matter to 
American families? Well, that might help explain their voting record on 
tax reform and other issues, but I suspect this is just pure 
partnership because it is Republican policies that are helping generate 
this success. Our friends across the aisle want to deny reality and 
ignore the obvious improvements for workers, families, and job 
creators. Fortunately, the facts are the facts. Americans know success 
when they see it, and Republicans will keep fighting to unleash more 
prosperity for the middle class.

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