Kevin Brady

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem).

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan), who has devoted his life to this moment and tax reform, our Speaker of the House.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Phillip Todd Stephens and his over thirteen years of dedicated service to Team Brady and the people of the Eighth Congressional District of Texas. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Todd began his life of public service as a Medical Specialist in the United States Army, which included a posting in the Demilitarized Zone of the Korean Peninsula. Upon completing his service in the military, Todd went on to earn two Bachelor's Degrees in Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Kentucky and a Master's Degree in Political Science from Eastern Kentucky University. Soon after his graduation, Todd returned to public service and began working in the Kentucky General Assembly--first in the office of the President of the State Senate and later as a bill drafter for the Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection. In 2004, Todd relocated to Washington, D.C., where he served as a Legislative Assistant in my congressional office for two years. Dedicated to working for the people of the Eighth District, Todd and his wife, Sarah, relocated their young family to The Woodlands, TX, in 2006. Todd served as my Director of Regional Issues, handling disaster relief efforts, local transportation issues, and many additional policy concerns directly affecting our communities. In 2013, Todd began working tirelessly as the District Director of my congressional offices in Conroe and Huntsville. Todd's steady and caring personality has guided him throughout his many years of service, and his dry humor and wit have time and again worked to encourage those around him and build relationships with the people of our community. He is an active member of Celebration Church and a volunteer with his son's Boy Scout troop--in addition to being a Texas burger and BBQ connoisseur. Todd and Sarah, who also worked as my District Director, along with their children, Avery and Owen, are a perfect illustration of a family committed to serving their community. On December 28, 2017, Todd will complete his final day of over thirteen years in my congressional office. While he will be sorely missed by my staff and me, I am fully confident that he will excel in his new role with The Woodlands Township. I am proud to join the entire Eighth District of Texas in thanking Todd for his years of public service and wishing him the best in the next chapter of his life.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained to cast my vote in time. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yea'' on rollcall No. 676.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is a clear choice. Opponents of tax reform make this a clear choice. They stand for business as usual, special interests as usual, losing our U.S. jobs overseas as usual, making it hard for young people coming out of school to find good-paying jobs as usual, and Washington having a greater claim over your earnings than you do as usual. That is what the opponents of tax reform stand for today. Today is about no more of that. It is time to drain the swamp. It is time to drain this Tax Code. It is time for a fairer and simpler Tax Code that Americans deserve, to close loopholes and special interests and lower tax rates so hardworking Americans can keep more of what they earn. Say ``no'' to the swamp. Say ``yes'' to a new Tax Code and a new era of American prosperity. I urge a ``no'' on the motion to instruct. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. I would point out that a hardworking middle class family in the 12th District of California will see a tax cut of $5,508. I would point out as well that the claim that this is an attack on the middle class and received four Pinocchios is simply untrue by The Washington Post. And while we are fact-checking, I will remind the American public that President Obama did inherit a deficit. He inherited it from a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate, and then he made it worse. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would note that a family of four in Oregon's Third District will see tax savings of $2,256. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, that family of four in New Jersey's Ninth District making $90,000 a year, two workers, will see a tax cut of $2,044. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I point out that a median family of four with two kids in Washington's First District will see a tax cut of $5,008. I would also remind my colleagues that President Obama raised the national debt by $9 trillion in new Washington spending. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would point out that that hardworking family of four in the 27th District of California will see a tax cut of $2,249. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), who is a key member of our Tax Policy Subcommittee and a businessperson himself.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would point out that that hardworking family of four in California's 38th District would see a tax cut of $1,870. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I point out that a middle class family making $74,000, in the Fifth District of South Carolina, will see a tax cut of $1,568. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to report that a median, hardworking, middle class family in the Fifth District of Maryland, will see a tax cut of $4,158. Mr. Speaker, I will remind everyone here tonight that the first year our Democrats took over the majority in the House, they doubled the deficit. The second year, they tripled the deficit. In the third year, it went above $1 trillion a year, and it stayed there until Republicans took control of the House. My friends on the other side of the aisle added $9 trillion to this deficit. But that was when Washington was spending. Today, we want to give people back control of their money, and, all of a sudden: Whoa, wait a minute. Deficits suddenly matter? I believe that claim is the hypocrisy in this debate. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong opposition to the motion to instruct. Today, we are moving to the crucial final stage in delivering once-in-a-generation tax reform to the American people. The choice we face now is clear. Do we want to stick with this complex, costly, unfair system that, today, caters to special interests and drives American jobs overseas? Do we want to stick with the slow-growth Tax Code that keeps our economy in second gear and all but guarantees rising debt and deficits? Or do we think it is time to go in a new direction? Do we think it is finally time to provide our workers, our families, and our job creators with a Tax Code that is simple, that is fair, that is built to create jobs and leapfrog America back into the lead pack around the world? Do we think it is time to get our economy growing again, I mean, truly growing, where better jobs, bigger paychecks, and more opportunity are available to people throughout this country? Many in Washington say they support tax reform, yet every argument we hear is about keeping taxes higher, keeping the growth of jobs and paychecks lower, and keeping more of this broken Tax Code that is so complex and so unfair to everyday Americans. It almost seems too many in Congress are rooting against a growing and prosperous American economy. Too many who claim to be concerned about the deficit today joyfully added trillions of dollars to the national deficit when it meant Washington could spend more. When our friends on the other side took control of the House, in the first year, they doubled the deficit. In the second year, they tripled the deficit. They then went on a roll of $1 trillion of more debt every year. In fact, they voted for a $1 trillion stimulus, absolutely unpaid for, that did nothing to grow the economy. That was when Washington could spend. But now, when it comes to letting families and our Main Street businesses spend more of their own hard-earned money, all of a sudden they say ``no.'' Come on. If you ask my constituents in Texas, they will tell you, without a doubt, it is time to go in a new direction. It is time to be progrowth. It is time to leave this slow-growth status quo behind us for good. Without a doubt, my constituents and so many Americans throughout our country are rooting for a healthier, stronger economy and a simpler, fairer Tax Code that allows them to keep more of their hard-earned money. That is why, right now, it is time for us to come together in a conference committee and finalize the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for the American people. When the Ways and Means Committee started working on tax reform over 6 years ago, we knew this road would be long and difficult. We have had our share of ups and downs along the way, but we stuck with it because we knew the American people were counting on us. We know they are counting on us now. So, with this conference committee, we are going to come together to give the American people the best of what our two bills have to offer. At every step, we are going to ask ourselves: How can we truly deliver the Tax Code Americans deserve? How do we drive rates lower for families? How do we encourage more investment in job creation on Main Street? How do we bring jobs back to America from overseas? How can we better support parents and students and homeowners and retirees? How can we make our economy stronger and healthier than ever? How can we improve lives across our country? We have all worked hard to get to this point in the process. I am proud of the bill we have delivered in the House, and I want to congratulate the Senate as well. Right now, we are closer than ever to delivering on our tax reform promise to the American people, but some of our most important work is still ahead of us. Now is the time for us to dig deep on behalf of the people we were sent here to serve. Now is the time for us to come together in a conference committee and unite behind one historic tax cut bill that will help Americans in all walks of life. This truly is the moment and the opportunity that we and so many Americans have worked for and waited for and deserve. Now is the time to seize it. Working truly together, I am confident we will. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this motion to instruct that kills tax reform, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would point out that a family of four in Michigan's Ninth District will save over $1,700 each and every year. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam), the chairman of the Tax Policy Subcommittee and a leader on the tax reform effort.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this motion to go to conference on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to advance this progrowth, profamily tax reform legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the motion. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1 of rule XXII, and by direction of the Committee on Ways and Means, I offer a motion.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would note that the average family of four making $59,000 a year in the 35th District of Texas will see a tax cut of over $1,100. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reed), a key leader of the Ways and Means Committee who knows what it is like to create jobs in New York.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would point out that the average family of four in the Fifth District of California will see a tax cut of over $2,370. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice), a key leader of tax reform who has a terrific accounting and business background.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that the median family of four in New York's 14th District making $63,000 a year working hard will see a tax cut of $1,251. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to remind the House that a family of four in Connecticut's First District will see a tax cut of $3,858 each and every year. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert), a new member and a key member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to report that that median family of four with two kids in the Seventh District of Illinois making $73,000 really working hard where every dollar counts will see a tax cut of $1,546. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to report that that median family of four making $74,000, blue-collar workers in the 26th District of New York, will see a tax cut of $1,562. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.