[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 149]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      BEGINNING OF A NEW CONGRESS

  (Mrs. DAVIS of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, this week marks the beginning 
of a new Congress, and with it comes a new chance to move past the 
bickering that has characterized the last 2 years. Sadly, the 
leadership of the House seems poised to let that opportunity go to 
waste.
  Since the election, we have heard that one potential area of 
agreement would be tax reform. That would be great. I would welcome the 
chance to improve our deeply flawed Tax Code. And yet, the very first 
act of this Congress will make it much harder for any reform bill to 
get bipartisan support.
  That is because House leadership has quite literally changed the 
rules of the game, allowing them to pick and choose which tax bills the 
congressional budget will be giving favorable treatment.
  Mr. Speaker, I am optimistic that we can move past the dysfunction of 
the last few years, but changing the rules of the game isn't a signal 
that we are heading in the right direction.

                          ____________________