[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8216-8217]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET AND TAX REFORM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as colleagues know, it is once again 
the time of the year when Congress gets to work putting together the 
next budget. One of the initial steps in the process is typically for 
the President to send up a blueprint of his own laying out his 
priorities, as Members continue to work through conversations here as 
well.
  The President's budget is being released this morning, and here are a 
few things we should know about it already: It builds on the progress 
made earlier this month on defense, prioritizing more of the resources 
our servicemembers need. It builds on progress made earlier this month 
on border security, calling for investing in more of the infrastructure 
and technology our law enforcement officers actually need. And, unlike 
any of President Obama's budget blueprints, this one actually achieves 
balance.
  The provisions I mentioned are encouraging to see. I am sure they 
will serve as guideposts for Chairman Enzi and the Budget Committee as 
they move forward on this matter.
  I also appreciate the President's commitment to slowing the growth of 
mandatory spending, which, if left unaddressed, could eventually limit 
our ability to invest in nearly anything else as the debt--and the 
interest we have to pay on it--increases and crowds out spending on 
other major priorities.
  This Thursday, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin will testify in front of 
the Finance Committee on the budget blueprint and, with it, the 
administration's interest in tax reform. I know we are all eager to 
learn more from him and look forward to working with the administration 
to make our Tax Code simpler and fairer for the American people and 
American businesses.
  Over the years, our tax system has grown only more complex and more 
punitive, putting both individuals and employers at a disadvantage, 
while also inadvertently incentivizing American companies and jobs to 
leave this country to go overseas. It is evident that we need serious 
reforms to our Tax Code, the type that will help families keep more of 
their hard-earned money, while also helping businesses put more 
Americans to work.
  By implementing tax reform, we can again encourage investment in our 
country, allowing American businesses to expand, hire more workers, 
improve wages, and offer better benefits. In turn, families will have 
access to more opportunities and will be better positioned to actually 
get ahead.
  It has been over three decades since we passed comprehensive tax 
reform, and it is past time we do something about it. Fortunately, we 
now have an administration that shares this interest in finally 
improving our tax system instead of making it even more convoluted and 
constricting--and without demanding $1 trillion in new taxes for the 
government.
  Easing the burden on the middle class and getting the economy moving 
again are top concerns here in the Republican Senate. We understand 
that for the past 8 years, too many families struggled under the weight 
of an economy that failed to reach its potential, too many took home 
wages that didn't meet their needs, and too many saw opportunity slip 
away. We understand that these families deserve a change in direction 
and expect each of us to do what we can to get the economy moving again 
soon. That is why we passed legislation to provide relief from Obama-
era regulations that stifle growth, and it is why we will keep working 
to advance more legislative solutions to help hard-working Americans. 
Tax reform is one way we can do just that.
  This is an area where Republicans and Democrats have been able to 
find some common ground in the past, and I am hopeful our friends 
across the aisle will join us in working toward comprehensive tax 
reform one more time. Either way, the Republican Senate remains 
committed to enacting tax reform so we can help encourage American 
investment, boost job creation, and promote wage growth all across our 
country.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

[[Page 8217]]

  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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