Kevin Brady

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 3442, the Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, born into an American energy family, Patrick Eugene Hosford arrived on February 6, 1936 in Seminole, Oklahoma where his father was working for what was then known as Gulf Oil. Eugene and June Hosford's oldest son, like his father, would go on to graduate from the University of Oklahoma and immediately put his engineering degree to work in the energy industry. For many years, Pat worked for Pan American, which became Amoco. Then Pat ventured out on his own forming his own energy companies and making his mark as an independent oilman. Pat even formed a manufacturing company to make pup joints for the energy industry. A quarter century ago Pat, and his lovely wife of 59 years, Colleen, whom he met on the campus at the University of Oklahoma, made The Woodlands their home. Their three sons all earned engineering degrees from the University of Texas, which makes the annual Sooners-Longhorn match-up quite the event in the Hosford house. All three of Pat's sons have made their mark on domestic energy production. Jim, John, and Mike, their wives, 9 children and two great- grandchildren are Pat's pride and joy. Now retired, Pat finds being a grandfather to be as great a rush as striking oil. I had the privilege of being in the same Woodlands office building with Pat for years. Seeing Pat frequently meant I benefitted from his experience and insight into our area's top business sector. His service on the Woodlands-South Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce board was a great help in the early days of The Woodlands when we were working to attract new energy companies to our community. Pat served wherever and whenever he was needed with a smile on his face, a faithful heart, and an open door for anyone who needed solid advice or help. A man of strong faith, Pat has always been active in his local church. One of my funniest, if not strangest, memories of Pat was seeing him, and other Woodlands leaders, dressed up bizarrely and jokingly offering folks a chance to make a donation or kiss a pig. Their over the top stunts made us laugh while raising a lot of money for the local United Way. Thank you will never be enough, Pat. Cathy and I are blessed to have you and Colleen as friends, as sounding boards and supporters since I first ran for office as a Texas State Representative. Today it is my privilege to honor Patrick Eugene Hosford on his 80th birthday and to wish him 80 more.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Price for his leadership during this historic effort to dismantle the President's burdensome healthcare law and stand for the rights of the unborn. I am pleased to support this veto override. It couldn't come at a more critical time in our history. The rights of the innocent unborn is the great human rights issue of our time. This President has chosen to stand on the wrong side of history. By vetoing this bill, he continues to funnel taxpayer dollars to subsidize the gruesome practices at Planned Parenthood. This country has lost 58 million children to abortion since 1973. That means there are more American deaths from this practice each year that are nearly equal to all of the American casualties from all our wars combined. This government-financed war on the innocent unborn has to stop. This House has already spoken. Whether you are pro-life or pro- choice, we have always agreed you don't use taxpayer dollars for the controversial practice of abortion. It is up to us to continue to stand with those we represent who don't believe their dollars should go to this. We are going to stand with our constituents against this terrible healthcare law because they have been hurt by higher prices, fewer doctors, and less affordable medicine. Frankly, this healthcare law has hurt too many Americans. We know now the path to repeal. We know how to remove the law's mandates, tax hikes, and slush funds. Now we just need a new President.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 44. We are at war. My top priority is to keep our families safe. We must hold Iran accountable for financing terrorism. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' personal explanation

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today in support of the Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act. Under the leadership of Committee on the Budget chairman, Dr. Price, and our Speaker, Paul Ryan, we will soon deliver an ObamaCare dismantle bill to the President's desk. By passing this legislation: We will fulfill our promise to use every possible tool to stop the President's expensive healthcare law; We will eliminate the unpopular mandates of the backbone of the Affordable Care Act; We will protect Americans from tax penalties for failing to purchase an expensive Washington-approved product that just so many people at home can't afford; We will end the tax penalties facing America's job creators who don't offer health insurance that meets Washington bureaucrats' very expensive tastes; We will deliver real relief from a dozen Democrat tax increases that drive American jobs overseas and punish American workers; We will protect taxpayer dollars by repealing an ObamaCare slush fund and ensuring that your taxpayer subsidies don't go to people who aren't eligible for them, and if they do, they are returned to the Treasury; We will--and this is important to me--demonstrate our strong commitment to women's health. Instead of funding Planned Parenthood and its gruesome practices, we will fund high-quality community health centers, and we will help ensure more women have access to quality health care. We are here today with a bill that cuts taxes, spending, and the deficit because this Congress did its job. In closing, while our Democrat friends often accuse us of relentlessly and tirelessly pursuing the repeal of the President's healthcare law, the reason is we are fighting for our families and our patients and our local businesses who have been harmed by it. Yes, the President will surely veto the bill, even though this bill has strong popular support. My belief is that exercising your constitutional right and power to legislate is never wasted if you are fighting for principles your constituents believe in. Give the American people a clear moral choice. Let the President explain why his healthcare law is raising costs on so many American families and businesses. Let him stand on the wrong side of history by defending unethical medical practices that, frankly, many Americans find abhorrent.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, even with the joys of the holidays all around us, this week has been a sad one for The Woodlands. A `bigger than life' bright light has left us after a long illness. I was honored to be one of Kishin ``Kay'' Bhavnani's first friends when he moved to The Woodlands in 1987. Kay made any day brighter. When he passed away on December 16, 2015 after a lengthy illness, I lost a dear friend, but Veena (Shalani), Nick and Amit lost so much more. Kay was kindness in human form. He never met a stranger. Friends were family and anyone who needed an open shoulder found one in his presence. Having Kay's support from my days at the Chamber to today was a blessing I can never repay. There were many nights that midnight had long passed, but Kay and I kept talking, laughing, and simply enjoying what friendship is all about. Kay will be remembered for his bottomless hospitality. When you left his presence, you were on top of the world, because you knew you mattered. Whether it was a great meal or engaging conversation, Papa Rama, as he was known to his many ``honorary kids'', was the confidant's confidant. His advice, comfort, laughter, and sometimes even a well- deserved kick in the pants to the many young friends of his sons were golden and will be sorely missed. I will always remember his deep love of all things Elvis Presley. He was born in Hong Kong in 1938 to Sita Bai Bhavnani (nee Advani) and Ramchand Bhavnani, but he embraced America with everything he had. He not only spent his life making everyone around him feel good, he made them look good. His tailoring talents were second to none. Our prayers are with his soul mate of 45 years, Veena, their children, beloved grandsons, Zachary and Julian, nieces, nephews and extended family who miss Papa Rama greatly. I am grateful for his friendship and I grieve along with the entire Rama family.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, citizens in Montgomery County are blessed with school districts that provide a world-class education and community organizations with a mission to serve. Without individuals like Dan Cox, neither would be as successful. Throughout his time in Montgomery County and the Greater Houston Area, Dan has used his talents to serve others. Dan, who earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in business administration from The University of Texas in Austin, spent the first six years of his career as an accountant and consultant. He entered private industry in 1979 and co-founded a cardiovascular medical device company in 1984. Dan's professional endeavors took a back seat to his increasing community involvement which began with his service on the board of directors for the Houston division of the American Heart Association in the 1980s. Dan then served as co-chair for both the Conroe ISD Strategic Planning Task Force and two Conroe ISD Facilities Planning Committees for the 1994 and 1998 bond referendums. Following his service on the board of directors of the Arthritis Foundation and the sale of his company in 1999, Dan held several executive and consulting positions in addition to serving as chairman of The Woodlands United Methodist Church Building Committee. In 2003, Dan was named Chief Financial Officer of Conroe ISD. During his time with the school district, Dan contributed to three successful bond referendums as well as the acquisition of numerous financial accolades for the district including the Platinum Leadership Circle Awards for financial transparency and five-star FAST ratings for high academic standards and efficient spending in public education issued by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Dan is a current member and past president of the Rotary Club of The Woodlands as well as Paul Harris Fellow. Dan Cox's dedication to his community and service to others stand as an example and inspiration to all. While he will be missed at Conroe ISD, I can't imagine Dan will ever stop looking for a way to serve.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the Ways and Means members who have for years and years worked on making these important tax relief provisions permanent and who have continued with me to stay at the table to work through an agreement that finally provides tax relief that families and businesses can count on. Mr. Speaker, that wouldn't have been possible without an extremely talented professional staff. Our tax team, led by Mr. George Callas, did remarkable work in crafting this tax relief permanent measure. For that I say thank you. This is a historical day. Today we end business as usual in Congress, and we take an important first step to progrowth tax reform. This bill provides tax relief families and businesses can finally count on. It reins in the IRS and protects taxpayers. It includes the first significant antifraud provisions in the IRS tax credit program since the 1990s. It finally creates true, honest accounting of our Tax Code. It spends no more than what we spend each year as Congress lurches December to December trying to decide what is permanent, what is temporary, and what can people count on. Today we heard arguments that these tax savings advance terrorism, starve children, and are apparently responsible for the breakup of the Beatles. The truth of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, extending these provisions year by year is no less--the math is no different than simply acknowledging that it is going to be done and doing it permanently so that we can actually create tax relief our families and businesses can count on. Mr. Speaker, this is not the end of tax reform. This is a serious first step to progrowth tax reform that is built for growth, built for the growth for families' paychecks, built for the growth of our local businesses, and built for the growth of America. We have got work to do. Today we start that work. Let's get to work. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford), who is a strong proponent of progrowth tax reform.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski), who has been a key proponent of tax relief for families and small businesses.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black), a member of our committee who is a champion of the State and local sales tax deduction.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reed), who has been a key leader of the Ways and Means Committee on manufacturing and energy.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci), a key member of our committee who has extensive business experience.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to include extraneous materials to the motion now under consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert), the former leader of our Subcommittee on Tax Policy.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), a member of the Ways and Means Committee who has focused on making companies competitive here and around the world.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith), a big fighter for American agriculture who serves on the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. After months of negotiations, I am honored today to talk to Americans about the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act, also known as the PATH Act. The most important thing for the American people to know is that this bill prevents their taxes from increasing, helps create more jobs in their communities, and makes it easier for them to do their taxes. It also reins in the IRS and protects taxpayers from waste and fraud within the large tax credit programs administered by the IRS. Now I would like to take a moment to talk about the six specific ways this bill helps American taxpayers. First, this bill provides $629 billion of tax relief that families and businesses can rely on. It is financially responsible because preventing a tax increase is never a cost. Republicans have always worked to stop Washington from taking more money from the hardworking Americans who earned it. This is not Washington's money. It is the taxpayers'. We shouldn't have to raise taxes on some people to prevent taxes on other people from going up. Secondly, by making a number of temporary tax provisions permanent, this will deliver predictability, clarity, and certainty for individual taxpayers as well as people managing businesses and trying to invest for the future. As we know all too well, how our country manages its Tax Code makes absolutely no sense. How can families and local businesses count on tax relief each year as long as Congress can't decide what is permanent and what is not? That confusion ends with this bill. With this bill in place, Americans will no longer have to worry each December if Congress will take action to extend certain tax relief measures that they have come to rely upon, including allowing State and local sales tax deductions for families, providing small businesses tax relief, and offering incentives--true incentives--for innovation, including the research and development tax credit. Third, this is a progrowth bill. This permanent tax relief will make it easier for employees to plan ahead, hire new workers, grow their businesses, and invest in the community. Fourth, Americans who are frustrated by Washington waste will be pleased to know that our bill contains stronger measures to fight fraud and abuse in these tax credit programs. While these provisions are significant, they are only a down payment on Republican efforts to make these tax programs, which are far too prone to error, abuse, and waste today, more accountable. Fifth, our bill reins in the IRS and protects taxpayers, delivers the power to fire IRS employees who take politically motivated actions against taxpayers, requires IRS employees to respect the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and prohibits IRS employees from using personal email accounts for official business. After witnessing years of abuse at the IRS, we can all agree that these provisions are important taxpayer victories. Finally, this bill serves as a path forward to progrowth tax reform by ensuring that we will no longer have to spend months each year debating temporary tax extensions. Instead, Congress can focus on delivering a simpler, fairer, and flatter Tax Code that is built for growth. I am proud of this legislation and grateful for all the Members of Congress who have helped throughout the course of these negotiations. This bill includes literally dozens of provisions drawn from bills and marked up by the Ways and Means Committee this past year. That is a reflection of the regular order that I am committed to extending and expanding next year as the committee digs in on tax reform and other critical measures. There is a lot in this bill, but those are the key principles. The bottom line is this legislation prevents tax increases, creates more job opportunities, and makes it easier for Americans to do their taxes. That is a great gift, an overdue gift, for the American taxpayers and the people who want and deserve a stronger U.S. economy. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, I have asked that the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation make available to the public a technical explanation of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, which the House is considering today. The Joint Committee on Taxation has issued that technical explanation as JCX-144-15, and it expresses the Ways and Means Committee's understanding and legislative intent behind this important legislation. It is available on the Joint Committee on Taxation's Web site at www.jct.gov. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany), who leads the Subcommittee on Tax Policy for the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Jenkins), a key member of our tax writing committee.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meehan), one of the members of the Ways and Means Committee focused on small businesses and on ending this medical device tax.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam), a key member, the leader of our Oversight Subcommittee who authored many of the IRS reforms that are in this bill.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), another key member of our committee, who brings such local business sense to the issue of taxes.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2029.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.