[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16480-16481]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               TAX REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, today we will begin a journey that has 
been represented to be a lifeline for the American people in long 
awaited tax reform.
  Sad to say that this is not a bipartisan bill. In addition, it is a 
bill that will cause a great deal of challenge to the American people.
  For example, in moving firms across the ocean, overseas, the American 
people should know that those companies, in the construct of this bill, 
will cause them to be exempt from taxes forever.
  In a discussion this morning, I heard that it will not boost the 
economy. The American people should know that it will destroy, 
undermine, crush the economy.
  The representation of the level of growth is a misnomer. Take, for 
example, in 1986, in the tax reform, there was no surge in job creation 
after the Reagan tax cuts. There was no high numbers of blossoming 
jobs. Many in my congressional district need jobs.
  It will be borrowing from the future and it will be a burden on our 
children, our children's children, and their children. But the most 
devastating part is the bill that we will be paying, the actual dollars 
to pay down the deficit.
  Of course, it should be known that we have examples that no jobs will 
be created. In 2004, for example, when there was a repatriation from 
companies regarding their taxes, there was no creation of jobs that we 
can even recognize. Most of the money went for stock buybacks.
  Now, I know that sounds completely technical, but let me be very 
clear. The question has to be: What will the middle class working 
families get?
  I can assure you, it will be close to zero.
  There are 2 million households, for example, in the State of Texas 
that will be impacted by not allowing the exemption of State and local 
taxes. We don't know whether mortgage deductions will be allowed, 
charitable tax credits. So if you have in some way been deducting, for 
example, those State and local taxes, you will not be able to do them 
anymore. That will be a great burden on the working families of 
America.
  So my caution to the business community as well as the small 
businesses, families: Be very careful what you buy into. We will have 
discussions to provide you with that detailed analysis. The key is a 
distribution table. What and whom will get the most money.
  As the bill is presently written, middle class working families, 
don't look for relief in the Ryan-McConnell tax bill. It will all go to 
the top 1 percent. They will relish while, you might not be jealous, 
but you will certainly be poorer for it.


                             Opioid Crisis

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to also entertain the questions 
about the pending opioid announcement of this White House. I want to 
bring to the attention the article in The New Yorker on the empire of 
pain. I am working on these issues, but I realize that this has to be a 
comprehensive approach to opioid abuse.
  The Purdue company launched OxyContin with a marketing campaign that 
attempted to counter this attitude and change the prescribing habits of 
doctors.

                              {time}  1045

  Many people know OxyContin. The company funded research and paid 
doctors to make the case that concerns

[[Page 16481]]

about opioid addiction were overblown and that OxyContin would safely 
treat an ever-wider range of maladies. Sales representatives marketed 
OxyContin as a product to start with and to stay with. Remember that. A 
product to start with and to stay with.
  Millions of patients found the drug to be a vital salve for 
excruciating pain, but many others grew so hooked on it, that between 
doses they experienced debilitating withdrawal.
  If we are going to do real opioid reform, this must be a standup of 
the pharmaceutical companies, and they cannot be defended.
  In addition, we have to understand that those languishing in jail 
that have suffered from criminal penalties for crack cocaine--crack--
there now should be a compromise for their release. Opioid reform must 
include all of the neighborhoods of America, not just some.

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