[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13216]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NIKI TSONGAS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 25, 2014

  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast a vote on rollcall 
votes 451, 452, 453, and 454 on July 25, 2014. Had I been present, I 
would have cast the following votes:
  I would have opposed final passage of H.R. 4935, the Child Tax Credit 
Improvement Act of 2014. As with the tax bills that have preceded it 
this year, I have strong concerns that this bill violates the pay-as-
you-go law, enacted with my support in 2010, by failing to offset the 
cost of permanent tax policy changes with an equivalent amount of 
deficit reduction. Furthermore, I am concerned that the bill would 
permanently expand eligibility for the child tax credit to families at 
the upper income limit while simultaneously failing to continue 
eligibility for families at the lower end. Finally, I am concerned that 
provisions added to the bill would prevent legal permanent residents 
who pay taxes from being eligible for the credits.
  I would have voted in favor of H. Con. Res. 105, which--pursuant to 
section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution--would prevent the President 
from deploying or maintaining United States Armed Forces in a sustained 
combat role in Iraq without specific statutory authorization for such 
use. The United States must ensure that it has the security personnel 
necessary to protect U.S. embassy and consulate personnel and I support 
the administration's decision to send additional forces for this 
purpose. The President also took an important step toward de-escalating 
the violence in Iraq when he sent 300 additional personnel to advise 
and train Iraqi forces in their battle with the Islamic State. However, 
I am concerned about the potential for escalation in this conflict and 
believe that any further deployment of U.S. personnel to be employed in 
a sustained combat role should require specific authorization from 
Congress.
  I would have voted in favor of the Democratic Motion to Instruct 
Conferees on H.R. 3230. I was proud to speak on behalf of this motion 
on the House floor, noting the important steps included in the Senate-
passed amendment supporting victims of sexual assault.
  I would have voted in favor of H.R. 5081, Representative Karen Bass's 
important bill that will help combat human trafficking.

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