Dave Camp

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Maryland for his remarks. This is a debate America needs to have and, hopefully, next year that debate will move forward. With that, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Stutzman).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we all know, there is a series of tax provisions that routinely expire that Congress must then renew, typically extending them for 1 year retroactively and 1 year prospectively. Congress routinely extends these policies without offsetting the revenue loss. This on again-off again style of legislating on a temporary basis is a terrible way to make tax policy. We are the only Nation in the world that lets large pieces of its Tax Code expire. Hard-working taxpayers deserve to know whether these tax policies are going to be there year in and year out on a permanent basis. Temporary renewals cannot provide the certainty that American businesses need in order to make the best decisions about how to invest in cutting-edge research, whether to buy new pieces of equipment, and most importantly, whether to hire that additional worker. These temporary renewals mean uncertainty for families as well as they try to plan their family budgets. Throughout the year, the Ways and Means Committee has produced legislation that carefully examined many of these temporary extenders and reformed and made permanent several of the most important ones. The whole House on a bipartisan basis later passed this legislation. This included important policies such as a permanent and improved credit for research and development and permanently higher section 179 expensing levels for small businesses--policies that were also included in the President's budget proposals. Analysis by the nonpartisan experts at the Joint Committee on Taxation confirmed that permanent extensions of these policies would result in companies spending more on R&D and making new investments, all of which would promote job creation and higher wages. Having passed a number of these policies through the House on a bipartisan basis, we proceeded with the rather old-fashioned approach of beginning bipartisan negotiations with the Senate. Until last week, we were making significant progress in those negotiations as everyone involved worked in good faith to reach a successful conclusion. We were close to reaching an agreement that would ensure that many of the bills that passed the House on a bipartisan basis would be included. In addition, we were going beyond the list of traditional tax extenders and including additional policies designed specifically to assist low- and middle-income American families, in particular, policies such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which helps low- and middle-income families afford college, which was also included in the President's budget proposals. Other policies included making permanent the deduction for State and local sales taxes and the tax rules for mass transit benefits. However, before these negotiations could conclude, the administration took the unbelievable step of issuing a veto threat. The President issued a veto threat over bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. Now, I can't tell you with certainty exactly what the administration wants because the administration has not even bothered to reach out and tell us what the President's priorities are; rather than trying to engage and work with Congress, the administration is only communicating through press statements. The President has often said that he wants to work with Congress to find bipartisan solutions. In fact, in his press conference after the election, the President said: I am eager to work with the new Congress to make the next 2 years as productive as possible. I am committed to making sure that I measure ideas not by whether they are from Democrats or Republicans, but whether they work for the American people. That statement is completely at odds with the President's actions last week, and we all know that actions speak louder than words. As a result of the administration's actions, negotiations with the Senate have come to a standstill. Inexplicably, the administration and some Senate Democrats have taken the position that policies that promote savings, investment, charitable donations, and job creation are a ``giveaway'' to big corporations. These Senators and the administration should listen to the 1,032 charitable organizations that have written to every Member of Congress in support of the permanent tax incentives for charitable giving that would have been included in the agreement with the Senate. I don't think that policies that promote donations to food banks, homeless shelters, and hospitals are giveaways to corporate America. The administration's actions now force us to take a different and less effective approach. With the end of the year and a new tax filing season rapidly approaching, we need to act. The IRS has been clear, unless Congress acts quickly, it will be forced to delay the start of the tax filing season. American families are struggling to make ends meet as wages remain flat, even as expenses increase. These families can't and should not face a delay in getting their tax refund. The legislation before us today will address the concerns raised by the IRS and ensure the tax filing season can open on time. We should ensure that the President's actions do not hurt hardworking taxpayers who are counting on that tax refund; therefore, I urge the House to pass this legislation and ensure that the tax filing season opens on time. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5771.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 766, I call up the bill (H.R. 647) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the tax treatment of ABLE accounts established under State programs for the care of family members with disabilities, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Reichert), a member of the Ways and Means Committee and chairman of the Human Resources Subcommittee. I also ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Washington control the remainder of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, many of us know the joys and responsibilities of being a parent. We spend years ensuring our children have the skills and education to reach their full potential as they grow and enter adulthood. Many of these everyday responsibilities parents face can and often do increase tremendously when they have a child with a disability. Today, we have an opportunity to ease some of those challenges. The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, commonly known as the ABLE Act, will allow those with disabilities and their caregivers to have the stability and security of knowing that they can save and provide for their education, housing, and medical expenses in the future. In short, the ABLE Act lets those with disabilities set up tax-free savings accounts to help them manage the costs of medical care, housing, transportation, and continued education. This will allow those who are on Medicaid and SSI to work, earn, and save more while still receiving these important benefits. It is important to note that these savings accounts will be available to all individuals with disabilities and their caretakers, not just those on Medicaid and SSI. This is a commonsense bill that will aid those with disabilities and their caretakers so they can live more fulfilling, happy lives and have the ability to provide for a better future. At the same time, this will not burden taxpayers since the cost of the ABLE Act is fully offset by the savings provisions in this bill. These offsets are a balanced and fair mix of savings provisions that all Members should be able to support. This bill is supported by more than 70 leading organizations and health care professionals, including the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Autism Society of America, Autism Speaks, the Brain Injury Association of America, Easter Seals, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, the National Disability Institute, the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Federation of the Blind, and The Arc. They support this bill because they know it will help more disabled individuals help themselves. That is all I can ask for--that is all anyone can ask for--and it is something I am pleased this legislation provides. This is why the ABLE Act has 380 cosponsors in the House and 74 cosponsors in the Senate. I want to particularly thank the sponsor of this legislation, my good friend from Florida, Representative Ander Crenshaw, as well as Representatives Sessions, McMorris Rodgers, and Van Hollen for their diligence in helping us bring this legislation to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, it is not every day that we have a chance to clear major hurdles in front of people who simply need a hand up. That is what this bill does, and I encourage all Members to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 647.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, this November, I am proud to celebrate National Adoption Month and also National Adoption Day, an important time to recognize those wonderful parents who have adopted children in need of a permanent, loving home. It's also a time to remind ourselves of the thousands of children across the country who still remain in foster care, waiting for a family to call their own. Earlier this year, I was honored to recognize Midland County Probate Judge Dorene Allen as the 2014 Angel in Adoption award recipient from my district. In her 14 years as a judge, she has finalized nearly 700 adoptions, and through this and her prior work she has dedicated her career to serving Michigan's most vulnerable children. There are many incredible advocates like Judge Allen around the country, and I am grateful for their efforts and for the opportunity we have to recognize them today. Adoption is not something I'm speaking about just today, but something I have focused on throughout my career in private practice as well as my years in Congress. As an attorney before coming to Congress, I worked with parents and children in the foster care system. In Congress, I have been privileged to meet many adoption advocates as well as youth who have benefitted from adoption. Those sorts of experiences provided much of the background for legislation I have helped craft that has contributed to the landmark changes in adoption policy Congress has approved in recent years. In 1997, my colleagues and I on the Ways and Means Committee crafted the Adoption and Safe Families Act. That legislation streamlined the adoption process to help more children in foster care quickly move into permanent adoptive homes. It also, for the first time, offered incentives to states to safely increase the number of children adopted from foster care. It worked. In the decade following that legislation, the number of U.S. children adopted from foster care increased by 71 percent. In the years since, adoptions have continued to remain higher even as the foster care caseload started to decline. Overall, almost 300,000 children have been adopted as a result of the increase in adoptions starting in 1997. One study estimated the federal government saved $1 billion over eight years by ensuring children were adopted instead of remaining in foster care. In 2001, I worked with my colleagues to pass the historic 2001 tax relief package that expanded the adoption tax credit to $10,000, easing the financial burden of adopting a child. In 2012, we made the adoption tax credit permanent. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law my legislation, the Adoption Promotion Act, to create new financial incentives for states that increase adoptions of older children from foster care. In 2008 as part of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, my proposal to provide equitable access to foster care and adoption services for Indian children in tribal areas became law. This allowed tribal governments to receive funding to administer adoption and foster care programs directly. And just this year--after many months of hearings, public comment, and bipartisan work between the House and Senate--the President signed into law the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. This law is designed to reduce child sex trafficking as well as increase adoptions, including among the hardest-to-place children. Together, these efforts have resulted in more children living in loving, adoptive families. I am grateful for the support I have received from my colleagues in these efforts during my time in Congress, and I am grateful that today we can recognize and honor the most important people in this process--the parents who adopt children, the children who have been adopted, and those children still searching for a loving family. Children in foster care deserve a place to call home, not for a few months or years, but for good. We have already seen great progress in increasing adoptions in recent years, and I hope that we will continue to see progress in the years ahead.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to offer praise of and appreciation for my friend and former colleague Congressman Phil Crane. I had the honor of serving alongside Phil on the Ways and Means Committee for many years, allowing me to witness first hand just what an exceptional leader he was. Phil was a true conservative that strived for real solutions that worked for all Americans near and far. Never shying away from the tough conversations, Phil was a leading reformer, pioneering significant efforts like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during his time as Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. He was a staunch advocate of free-market policies and remained dedicated to simplifying the tax code. Phil was an influential member of the Committee and helped pave the way for meaningful reform that we are still fighting for today. What's more, Phil was just as personable as he was outspoken, two qualities that forged friendships on both sides of the aisle. It is no secret that Phil was an undeniable presence in any room he entered, often remembered for his knack for storytelling and entertaining punch lines. Phil was a one-of-a-kind force to be reckoned with, and I am honored to have known him, both personally and professionally. I am deeply saddened by his passing, but know his legacy will continue to impact Congress for many years to come.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings), the gentleman from the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. CAMP. I am prepared to close, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Young), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. CAMP. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just say my friend from Maryland mentioned the Hire Our Heroes Act. That received virtually every Democrat vote and Republican vote on the floor but one. I certainly trust that the gentleman from Maryland has urged his two Democrat Senators in the Senate to take this bill up and pass it. It has been sitting in the Senate. It is blocked. Certainly, we don't think those who fight for our country should be penalized when they come back to the United States in terms of getting their health care. This would certainly help tremendously, and it is something that has received large bipartisan support. Every one of these provisions help create jobs, and certainly all of them have bipartisan support: R&D, the research and development credit, 62 Democrat votes; Section 179, extending, 53 Democrat votes; The S corporation reform, 42 Democrat votes; Bonus depreciation, 34 Democrat votes; Repealing the 30-hour work week rule, 18 Democrat votes. All of these have bipartisan support. They are all sitting in the Senate. I heard the gentleman say maybe nothing is being done. Well, I would submit, my friends on the other side, other than voting for these bills, have done nothing to urge their colleagues who have the majority in the Senate to move something that will actually get people back to work and really bring the American Dream back in reach for millions of Americans, and it isn't now. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Every day, honest, hardworking men and women are struggling. Far too many families haven't seen a pay raise in years, and many have lost hope and stopped looking for work entirely. H.R. 4, the Jobs for America Act, will strengthen the economy by creating more jobs with higher take-home pay. The House has already passed dozens of bipartisan solutions that will break down burdensome regulations and promote policies that allow businesses, large and small, to do what they do best: grow, innovate, and hire new workers. The bill we have before us today, the Jobs for America Act, includes provisions that have strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. The research and development credit, which has been around for over 30 years, is a proven way to incentivize U.S. companies to innovate, create new products, and invest in the U.S. The United States is the only country that allows important pieces of its Tax Code to expire on a regular basis. Businesses cannot grow and invest when the Tax Code is riddled with instability and uncertainty. Making the R&D tax credit permanent also supports good-paying jobs. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, 70 percent of research and development credit dollars are used to pay salaries of R&D workers. The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that making the R&D credit permanent could increase the amount of research and development American companies undertake by up to 10 percent. That translates into more workers, higher wages, and increased innovation here in the United States. This bill would also make permanent bonus depreciation and section 179 expensing at higher levels, allowing businesses, farmers, and ranchers to plan for the future and expand their businesses. The result of that is more jobs and higher wages for hardworking Americans. The Tax Foundation analysis found that permanent bonus depreciation would add $182 billion to the economy and increase wages by 1 percent, which creates 212,000 jobs. Additionally, the bill would make permanent several expired tax provisions that benefit S corporations, a popular and important business structure that is used by millions of small businesses across the country. This commonsense effort will give small businesses some much-needed relief from the burdens of the Tax Code, allowing them to invest and create new jobs. This bill would also repeal some of the job-killing provisions of the health care law. The current 30-hour rule in the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate results in fewer jobs, reduced hours, and less opportunity for Americans. By changing the definition of ``full-time work,'' ObamaCare places an unprecedented government regulation on workers. As a direct result, Americans across the country are having their hours cut at work and seeing smaller paychecks. At a time when the cost of groceries, gas, and health care keep increasing, lower paychecks are simply unacceptable. Worst of all, the law hits lower-income Americans the hardest: 2.6 million workers with a median income of under $30,000 are at risk of losing jobs or hours; 89 percent of workers impacted by the rule don't have college degrees, 63 percent of which are women; and over half have a high school diploma or less. So simply restoring the definition of ``full-time work'' to 40 hours will ensure the hardest-working Americans don't see their hours and wages cut as a result of the health care law. This bill also ensures that small businesses that hire veterans returning from service overseas, who already have coverage through TRICARE or the VA, are not counted under the employer mandate. And we repeal the onerous medical device tax, which is stifling medical innovation and hurting jobs. According to a survey by AdvaMed, the medical device tax has already resulted in 14,000 jobs lost in the industry and prevented 19,000 jobs from being created. This tax is contributing to lackluster job creation and hampering medical innovation. We have strong bipartisan support for repeal of this tax, and for repealing it before even more detrimental harm is done to the workforce and medical community. These are only a few among a long list of policies that will ultimately get Americans back to work and increase their quality of living. With better jobs, higher take-home pay, and a stronger economy, we can offer a brighter future for our youth and ease the everyday burdens felt by individuals nationwide. It is time to create an America that works. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from New York for those kind remarks and also for the work we have been able to do together over the years. I remember the first legislation that we really worked together on was the Adoption and Safe Families Act, which was signed into law and has done a lot to move children from a temporary situation into a permanent loving home. And I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership on that and other issues on the committee. And as a former chairman of the committee, you have sat in the chair I am sitting in right now and know what a challenge it can be at times. But we have done some great work together. I do happen to believe, though, that this legislation would create jobs. And it is not just my opinion. These provisions have been analyzed by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, and that indicates that these are all important provisions. There has been some reference to the fact that we are close to an election. And I think clearly what most Americans are sick of is the dysfunction in Washington, the lack of ability for the two parties to get together, whether it is the Republicans and Democrats in the House or Democrat majorities in the Senate and Republican majorities in the House. And these are all bipartisan provisions. These are all tax provisions that have had significant Democrat support and votes. In the case of the Help Hire Our Heroes Act, I think every Democrat but one voted for it. Clearly these are things that will help create jobs. And not only do Americans want to see the dysfunction in this body end, but they would like to see something that will help move the economy forward, that will help make their lives better. If you look at polling--there is certainly a lot of polling out there right now--a lot of Americans know that things are not as good as they should be. I mean, it clearly comes across in the polls how dissatisfied they are. And there are lots of reasons for that, largely because median incomes are declining. But what is really troubling is that Americans don't believe that things are going to get better. They are worried that, for the first time, their children or their brothers and sisters or their family members or they will not have the same opportunities that many of their parents or some of their friends have had. That is a very troubling situation. This is legislation that will help move the ball forward on getting some economic growth, some job creation, a stronger economy. And with that stronger economy comes more jobs, comes higher wages, comes benefits so that people can pay for food and gas and put something aside for their retirement and for their kids' education. These are all things that have been extended repeatedly with bipartisan support. As I mentioned, R&D, 30 years; section 179, expensing for small businesses, 10 years; some of the S Corp perform, 12 years--seven times since 2006. So let's not have a temporary policy. Let's make this permanent. Let's get this country moving again. Let's restore that faith that people have had in this country and in the American Dream. Let's vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just say to my good friend from Wisconsin that that was part of the story. Many of these provisions that are bipartisan job-creating provisions have been extended time and time again without being ``offset,'' without being ``paid for.'' Look at the research and development tax credit. It has been extended 15 times over a 33-year period. It has never been paid for, but it is temporary, so it doesn't have the impact on innovation and research and development. That is what drives economies. That is what grows jobs. Let's make this permanent. Let's not be the only nation in the world with a temporary tax policy. Then we wonder why we are not growing. Then we wonder why median incomes are flat or are declining. Then we wonder why people aren't achieving the American Dream. Some of my friends have talked about the Senate. They didn't pay for this. What did they do? They extended some of these policies backwards a year and forward 1 year. How can anyone decide to hire a worker, to build a new building, to buy equipment, to start a new production line on 1 year of policy? This is about permanency, and it is about growing jobs. I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Hurt).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 727, I call up the bill (H.R. 4) to make revisions to Federal law to improve the conditions necessary for economic growth and job creation, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the West Midland Family Center in commemoration of the organization's 40th anniversary. The West Midland Family Center (WMFC) first opened its doors in 1974. Originally an abandoned school, in 1931, WMFC founder Phyllis Breedlove and several other dedicated community members began the transformation of what was to become a thriving community center. Founders had a vision for the community of Midland and its families where local citizens both young and old could come to learn, socialize, and participate in recreational activities. It is this vision that has helped the West Midland Family Center continued to grow and expand throughout the years. By the generosity of multiple donors and foundations, the WMFC has added a 20,500 square foot building for classrooms, an outdoor pool, a playground, baseball diamonds, and a soccer field. These facilities have enriched the lives of thousands of children, adults, and families throughout the area. After the completion of its most recent expansion project, the WMFC now offers licensed childcare, family support, and afterschool programs. It is because of the guidance and support of countless volunteers and generous individuals that the Center continues to fulfill its mission today. On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Michigan, it is with great honor that I commemorate this 40th anniversary of the West Midland Family Center and congratulate the organization for its many years of success within Midland County. I offer my deepest appreciation to the organization for all it has done and wish it continued success in the future.