Kevin Brady

Mr. BRADY of Texas

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. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and the outstanding work of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. It is hard to believe that just over 20 years ago pulmonary hypertension patients were given less than 3 years to live and no treatment options. Today, there are 14 FDA-approved treatments for patients with this rare condition, and they continue to live longer. I am proud of the work of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and their volunteers and leadership over the past decade and a half, and I am glad to be a small part of it. My inspiration was a 5-year-old patient named Emily, the daughter of my dear friend Jack Stibbs. Thanks to medical advancements, Emily graduated from Vanderbilt University and is leading an amazing life. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to continue to support critical research efforts to improve the lives of our PH patients.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and the outstanding work the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) including the Lone Star Chapter of The Woodlands, TX, has done during the last sixteen years in the fight against the rare, debilitating disease known as pulmonary hypertension (PH). PH was first brought to my attention by my friend, Jack Stibbs, whose daughter, Emily, had been recently diagnosed at an early age. Due to Emily's early diagnosis, she has been able to lead a relatively normal life and Emily has recently graduated college. However, not all patients are as fortunate. PH is high blood pressure that occurs in the arteries of the lungs. The disease reflects the pressure the heart must apply to pump blood from the heart through the arteries of the lungs. As with a tangled hose, pressure builds up and backs up, forcing the heart to work harder and less oxygen to reach the body. PH symptoms generally include fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath with the severity of the disease correlating with its progression. If left undiagnosed or untreated, PH can lead to heart failure and death. Investment in medical research and sustained scientific progress in this area has led to fourteen Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted treatment options for two forms of PH. When individuals are diagnosed with PH quickly and begin appropriate therapy, their prognosis and life-expectancy improve dramatically. However, it currently takes an average of two and a half years to receive a diagnosis and three quarters of patients have severe PH when they are finally diagnosed. Without treatment, historical studies have shown a mean survival time of 2.8 years after diagnosis for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Patients with advanced PH cannot benefit as greatly from available therapies and often face dramatic and costly medical interventions, including 24-hour IV infused medication, increased risk for hospitalization and in some cases heart-lung transplantation. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing November as Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and continuing to support federal activities that improve the lives of patients impacted by PH, including research programs at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

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

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci), one of our key members of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice), one of the key leaders of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris).

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. So I note that constituents in the 18th District of Texas, the past speaker's district, that average families will see a tax cut of nearly $1,000, and Texas will grow 81,000 new jobs and see higher paychecks as a result of this tax reform bill. We are proposing a Tax Code so fair and simple, 9 out of 10 Americans will be able to file using a simple postcard system. There is a fairness and equality for each American--knowing what each others' deductions are because we have exactly the same ones. This simplicity, this fairness, these larger paychecks, this is what the Tax Cut and Jobs Act is all about. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the average family of four in the Third District of Wisconsin will see a tax cut of over $2,000. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), who is the chairman of the Small Business Committee and a champion for small businesses.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Marchant), a key leader on the Tax Policy Subcommittee.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), one of the leaders of the Tax Policy Subcommittee.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker).

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that families of four, the average family in Oregon's Third District, will see a tax cut of $2,200. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), who is the chairman of the Financial Services Committee and a dear friend of mine.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry), our chief deputy whip.

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

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have a note that the average family of four in Michigan's Ninth District will receive a tax cut of over $1,700. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), one of our key leaders on the Ways and Means Committee, who serves on the Tax Policy Subcommittee.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the average family of four in California's Fifth District will see a tax cut of $2,300. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Curbelo), who has been an advocate not only for Floridians but Puerto Rico and a number of our families and communities around the country.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that the average family of four in the Fifth District of Georgia will see a tax cut of $1,484. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bishop), one of the new members of the Ways and Means Committee who has really been a leader for families, small businesses, and industry.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Buchanan), chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to work with the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) on this important issue for the Alaska Native community. Under the tax bill, Alaska Native Settlement Trusts would be unintentionally subject to a higher tax rate. I thank him for bringing this to my intention. I assure him that I will focus on this in conference as we finalize individual rate structures between the House and the Senate. I also look forward to working with him to advance the provisions of his bill in this important area.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this historic legislation before us today represents a crucial step to fulfilling our tax reform promise to the American people, but it is not the final step. We are Republicans. We believe the Tax Code doesn't belong to Washington. It belongs to the American people. We will continue to work to make it better and improve at every step of the way. Before I make final remarks, I want to thank all of our Ways and Means Committee members who have done so much and worked so hard, as well as every Member of this House who helped make this opportunity real for the American people. I also want to say how grateful I am to everyone at the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation and the House Office of the Legislative Counsel. Their careful analysis contributed so much to this bill. Finally, I want to give special recognition to Barbara Angus, the chief tax counsel on the Ways and Means Committee, and all of our staff on the committee, who put their hearts and their souls and many sleepiness nights in the development of this bill. I can't thank them enough for their hard work and dedication. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives is, by its very design, the Chamber of Congress closest to the American people. Today, this House-- the people's House--will pass historic legislation to improve the lives of Americans nationwide. For too long, this broken Tax Code has put the needs of the people second, propping up Washington's special interests at the expense of hardworking Americans. For too long, this broken Tax Code has rewarded companies for outsourcing American jobs instead of encouraging them to create jobs here at home. For too long, this broken Tax Code has eroded America's economic leadership around the world. This country used to be the standard-bearer worldwide for competitive tax systems. Not anymore. Now the United States is barely a spec in the rearview mirrors of so many of our international competitors. In our businesses, our workers, our Made in America products, which are the best in the world, are bearing the consequences of Washington's failure to act. That stops now, and it stops with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. With this historic bill, we will provide real simplicity for every taxpayer, we will deliver real fairness to every hardworking American, we will be more competitive than ever, we will win worldwide and here at home, and we will see better jobs and bigger paychecks in every community of this great Nation so people can keep more of their hard- earned dollars. With this bill, we will deliver a new Tax Code built for a new era of American prosperity. So to Washington's special interests, who are now being propped up by absurd carve-outs and loopholes, get ready to stand on your own. To our international competitors, who are now leading the pack, get ready to have some company. To the American people, who have waited years for tax reform, get ready for the tax relief you deserve. Today, this House--the people's House--is taking action on the most transformational tax overhaul in a generation, and we are taking action today. It is time for this old, broken Tax Code to go. It is time to put the American people first. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize and honor the life of a dedicated husband, father, mentor, and community leader from The Woodlands, TX: Joseph Michael Deffner. Born and raised in New Orleans, Joe Deffner spent his early years in Louisiana before moving to The Woodlands and becoming a true Texan. As a child, Joe was a member of the Saint Edward the Confessor Church Cub Scout Pack 496 in Metairie, Louisiana. Many years later, Joe imparted this love of scouting to his own three sons: Justin, Brett, and Jackson, who remained active in scouting throughout their teenage years. Ultimately, Joe dedicated ten years of his life to the local scouting program at St. Simon and Jude's Catholic Church, in The Woodlands, TX, including a three-year stint as the Scoutmaster of Troop 204, one of the largest troops in the Tall Timbers District. Devoted to the advancement and leadership development of his sons and the many scouts under his leadership, Joe personally led three scout trips to High Adventure Bases across the country, and under his guidance, thirty-two scouts attained the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America. Joe's hard work and dedication was rewarded in 2014, when he was recognized as the Tall Timber District's ``Outstanding Scout Leader''. In addition to his community involvement, Joe built a successful career in finance. Highly respected in his field, Joe's career led him to work for industry giants, such as Citi Global Commodities, Amaranth, Enron Corp, and UBS. In 2013, Joe filled a new role as the Managing Director of HPS Investment Partners LLC in Houston, TX. Joe's dedication to his wife, Lisa Bills, and his sons, Justin, Brett, and Jackson provides a stellar example of a loving husband and father--an example that deserves to be recognized and emulated by all who hear of his story. I am certain that Joe's entire family, including his mother and father, Mary and Joseph; his sister, Cheryl; his niece and nephews, Maia, Liam, and Aidan; his mother-in-law, Donna; and brothers-in-law, John and Eric will sorely miss his quick wit and lively personality. It is my honor to join Joe's family, friends, and the entire community of The Woodlands, TX, to recognize Joe's lifetime of dedicated service. Joe passed away on November 7, 2017, and he will be truly missed.