Mike Kelly

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge you to designate June 28th as National Logistics Day. For centuries, the logistics industry has connected our world and our nation one shipment at a time. The logistics industry is a prime example of success not only in the United States, but also globally. The field of logistics employs over 50 million people around the world, 5 million of those being proud American citizens. This year, Logistics Plus, a flourishing company proudly founded and based in Erie, Pennsylvania, requests that June 28th be proclaimed National Logistics Day. Along with being routinely regarded as a thriving contributor in the logistics industry, Logistics Plus, a global logistics company, has generated hundreds of valuable careers in Pennsylvania's 16th district. Since its establishment in 1996, Logistics Plus and its founder, Jim Berlin, have spread award-winning business solutions to their numerous locations worldwide. The logistics industry is a prominent model of the success, achievement, and prosperity that American businesses and corporations strive for daily. Often, the current administration speaks on the importance of business and commercial activity in the United States and global community. Logistics Plus and the Logistics industry overall is an outstanding representation of the continuous economic growth, with approximately eight percent of products made and sold in the U.S. being attributed to logistics. The third-party logistics industry (3PL), which aids in business management of supply chains, represents an $800 billion industry on its own. The national logistics industry connects and unites the country by aiding in the transportation of more than 13 billion tons of freight domestically by means of roads, sea, air, and rail. It is vital that we recognize the dedicated professionals in the logistics industry who unify and strengthen our world community through safe, reliable, and affordable transportation and storage services. National Logistics Day on June 28th serves as an annual show of appreciation and recognition to the industry, which has contributed to our national and global economies. I urge this committee to ensure that this sign of commendation to an industry that has demonstrated the value of hard work time and again be granted the national acknowledgement of achievement by declaring June 28th National Logistics Day.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to this amendment.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, first off, I thank Representative Foster and also his acting chief of staff, Samantha Warren, for the great work on this and for working along with two of the people on my staff, Kevin Dawson and Brendan Fulmer. It is this type of collaboration that proves to the American people that we can do things together and do them right. Everything the gentleman just said, it really rings true with me. My father was 86 years old when we had to admit him into the hospital for some work to be done. As I was sitting there visiting with him one morning, the nurses brought in his medication. He said, ``What are you giving me?'' The nurse said, ``Well, this is what the doctors prescribed for you.'' So he said, ``Could I have the chart at the end of the bed, please?'' The nurse said, ``Why would you want that chart?'' He said: ``Because what you are giving me today is something I can't take. If you look at the chart, you will find out that I am right, and what you are giving me is wrong.'' I thought it was amazing that an 86-year-old man knew enough to look at what he was being given without just saying, ``Fine, if you think I should take it, I will take it.'' When we look at what is happening today, we are at a point right now where there is no reason for us to be having these problems. According to the 2016 study that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster) talked about, healthcare executives say that misidentification costs the average healthcare facility $17.4 million per year in denied claims and potential lost revenue. Without the ability for clinicians to correctly connect a patient with their medical record, medical errors have needlessly occurred and lives have been lost. These are situations that could have been entirely avoidable had patients been able to be accurately identified and matched with their records. This is a problem that is so dire that one of our Nation's leading patient safety organizations, the ECRI Institute, named patient misidentification among the top 10 threats to patient safety. There is no reason for that to occur, not today, not in this world, not with what we have available to us. Passing the Foster-Kelly amendment and removing this outdated ban would help bring our healthcare system into the 21st century, improve patient safety, and save millions of dollars. I would hope that every Member shares the same concerns that the gentleman and I have and that we make sure to look at what is available to us in the 21st century to make sure these types of mistakes don't happen. We have the ability to do it. Why hold back? I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Brady for yielding. I am so used to calling him chairman, but I look across the aisle to my great friend Richard Neal, who is chairman right now, and I thank him so much for bringing this up today. Madam Speaker, I enter into the Record a letter in support of the SECURE Act from AARP.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, this is an unusual day. In many cases, it is providential, as we look on the eve of the time that we take to honor our fallen war dead. Some people confuse it with the beginning of summer or the opening of our swimming pools. It has nothing to do with that. But the fact that we can talk today about the SECURE Act--and when you talk about ``secure,'' what does ``secure'' mean? It means giving you certainty, making you assured, and making something reliable, something dependable, something that is fixed, something that is established, and something that is solid and sound. What we are doing today is acting in the best interests of the American people. We are doing it in the people's House at a time when the rest of the Nation looks at us and asks, ``Isn't there anything they can do together to help the American people?'' When I go home, I say, yes, there is. I have a great friend from Wisconsin, Ron Kind, and we feel the same way. I talked with Mr. Brady about it, and we feel the same way. I have talked with Mr. Neal about it, and we feel the same way. Today's effort is adding security in retirement years for every American, the opportunity to go into those golden years with a little gold in their pockets so that they can get through it, giving them peace of mind in being able to lay their heads on the pillows at night feeling safe and secure, knowing that they have prepared for their retirements. There are many other pieces to this bill. We have talked about the provisions to the Gold Star program. So if something was wrong, we made it right. The 529 programs give people the opportunity to actually save and allocate money for the education of their children. It may not be in a 4-year college. Maybe it is a vocational opportunity. But it is there. It is their money, and they should be able to use it the way they want to use it. I just said earlier about it being providential, and I mean that sincerely. There will be a few times today that the American people will look at us and say: They really have our best interests at heart. They really go to work every day thinking that they are not representing themselves but representing us, the American people. When I look at this piece of legislation, I know how hard we worked with the chairman to get it through in the past sessions. We almost got it there but didn't quite get it there. Madam Speaker, I say to Chairman Neal, we are getting there. We are getting there. And I say to Mr. Kind, we are getting there. I just think that it is such a fantastic opportunity to show the American people who we really are and what we really do and where our hearts really lie. There are so many people who worked on this. Also, the staff. I thank Kara for doing the work that she has done. I always call her my girl Friday. In our office, Lori Prater. They all work so closely together. I wish the American people could see the camaraderie, could see how well we work together, and could understand that our concerns and their concerns are the same. I am saying today that the SECURE Act gives us that opportunity. The time for the American people and retired people is just beginning, and we have blue skies and strong winds on our backs. Madam Speaker, I wish everybody the best Memorial Day ever, and let's not forget our fallen heroes.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, for over 100 years, America's railways, roadways, runways, and rivers were the envy of the entire world. Now they are emblems of a past time that requires significant upgrades to support our current needs. They not only allow us to participate in a global economy, but allow us to dominate that economy. First, let me note that American infrastructure is made up of the following: 4.1 million miles of public highways, over 600,000 bridges, 140,500 miles of railways, 11,300 miles of public transit systems, 25,000 miles of navigable waterways, 250 water ports, and 19,500 airports. Much of that infrastructure is decades old and in dire need of repair. For too long, America has stood by and allowed our once world- leading infrastructure to crumble. Our competitors have not only caught up with us, but, in many cases, have surpassed us. Countries like China and India spend billions on new roads, new rails, and ports, while we have allowed ours to decay. America still has the most dynamic, innovative, and diversified economy in the entire world, but we must rebuild our Nation's infrastructure to remain competitive. Our taxpayers already pay enough in taxes, so we have to find ways to pay for these infrastructure improvements. It is imperative that we do so without putting a heavier burden on our hardworking American taxpayers. That is why I have worked on legislation over the years, with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, that uses a combination of public and private funds to fix our public works. By working together, we can rebuild our Nation's infrastructure by harnessing the private sector's capacity for innovation and investment, rather than raising taxes. I would like to outline some of the legislation that I am talking about, which I believe is just the type of outside-the-box thinking we need to achieve those goals. Today, Earl Blumenauer and I introduced the BUILD Act. This legislation raises the Federal statutory cap on private activity bonds that can be issued by or on behalf of State and local governments for qualified highway and freight improvement projects from $15 billion to $20.8 billion. In short, it allows State and local governments to enhance their capacity to finance surface transportation projects through private-public partnerships. As more of our Nation's infrastructure requires critical investment and improvements, we must find ways to reinvest in our roads and rails without burdening our hardworking American taxpayers. This bill will help finance improvement projects at a minimal cost to taxpayers with a maximum impact on America's roads, bridges, and rails. This is a jobs bill. I joined with Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Graves, Representative Napolitano, and Representative Westerman to introduce H.R. 2440, the Full Utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Act. This bipartisan bill ensures the harbor maintenance trust fund is used for its intended purpose, and that is maintaining our federally authorized harbors. Erie, Pennsylvania, knows that our airports badly need this support. The Port of Erie is part of our economic lifeblood. For decades, cargo ships have had to light load because of a lack of dredging, significantly increasing the cost per unit for shipped goods. People ask: What do you mean by light load? What I mean by that is they cannot load to their full capacity. They are light loading so the ships can navigate through areas that have not been dredged in years. Our Nation's 59 busiest ports are available less than 35 percent of the time. Conditions of our midsize and emerging harbors are far worse. Currently, there is over $9 billion sitting in the harbor maintenance trust fund. This money has come from the users of those assets. They have put that money in for the express purpose of thinking that it was going to be used to improve the ports that they used. Over the next decade, there is going to be an additional $24.5 billion in revenue that will be collected by the harbor maintenance tax. This bill provides for the investment of approximately $34 billion for our Nation's coastal and inland harbors over the next decade without raising one dime in taxes for our hardworking American taxpayers. This money will provide for dredging of all Federal harbors to their constructed widths and depths. Because of developments like the opening of the expanded Panama Canal in 2016, larger container ships will increasingly call upon our Nation's ports, and dredging is necessary if they are allowed to have access to these ports. Our goal is to guarantee that our Nation is competitive in the global economy of the 21st century. Also with Earl Blumenauer, I introduced the Public Buildings Renewal Act. This bipartisan legislation will spur private investment in public building infrastructure throughout the United States by creating $5 billion in private activity bonds for the improvement of government- owned public buildings. In every small town or city in America, the conditions of our public schools, our public hospitals, our universities, and our police and fire stations are deteriorating because of delayed maintenance. We just haven't been able to afford to do it. With State and local budgets becoming increasingly tight, capital investments in public buildings have fallen by the wayside. For example, the average public school building is at least 40 years old, and the current backlog of maintenance and repair projects adds up to more than $45 billion, annually, in unmet funding needs. The Public Building Renewal Act aims to unlock private sector capital for the public sector's benefit. The public buildings that house vital services for Americans must be maintained and improved. We have also dropped the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act. Representative Blumenauer and I introduced this bill just recently. The short line rail industry operates on nearly 50,000 miles of railroad track in 49 states. And is part of the origination or the termination of one out of every five cars, railroad cars, on the national railroad system. Short line railroads serve the most vulnerable part of the rail network. Small towns and small businesses who would have otherwise been cut off from the national network, are now served by the short lines. Unfortunately, though, as the freight rail industry has evolved, many short line railroads and smaller communities have been abandoned. This removes a critical first- and last-mile link between producers, consumers, and export opportunities in large and small communities across America. Since it was first enacted in 2005, the 1- or 2-year increment extensions of the Short Line Railroad Maintenance Credit provided limited certainty for short line railroads to make investments in their infrastructure. Our legislation delivers confidence by making the short line railroad maintenance credit permanent while also applying it retroactively to tax year 2018. The short line railroad maintenance tax credit is responsible for more than $4 billion of investment in privately held short line railroads across America. The tax credit requires the short line railroad to invest $1 dollar for every 50 cents in credit up to a credit cap of $3,500 per track mile. In 2015 alone, 2,140 rail miles were improved. 5.27 million railroad ties were replaced; and the short line industry invested nearly 25 percent of their revenue on infrastructure improvements. These investments ensure that more than 10,000 rail companies can rely on safe, efficiently and economically competitive transportation for their products. Also, I would like to talk just a little bit about the GAIIN Act. During the last Congress, I introduced a bipartisan bill with a broad coalition from the Republican Study Committee, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the House Freedom Caucus. This legislation has the potential to help fund critical infrastructure projects in the Nation's poorest communities while simultaneously paying down on our national debt. The poorest areas in our country have been routinely overlooked or are in dire need of infrastructure improvements that will facilitate economic growth and self-sustainability. Reviving these forgotten cities and breathing life back into these towns throughout America is both a moral and economic imperative that uniquely unites all lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Selling some of the $2 trillion of nonperforming debt and lease assets held by Federal agencies on the open market would be a good strategy for a down payment on infrastructure improvements. The GAIIN Act will do that and reduce our debt without asking taxpayers for one more penny of their money. Half the proceeds from these sales will be put into projects and communities below the poverty line and directly lead to jobs and economic growth where it is most needed. Also, the contractors doing this work in these communities would be required to hire people who actually live there, to help build these products and projects. Imagine the generational pride that will be created when fathers and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers tell their children and grandchildren, ``We rebuilt this community for you.'' It lasts for generations, and it is a pride that you can't just stop thinking about how good it is for our country. Now, the other half of the revenue we collect would go to debt reduction. And this is a private-sector solution to a public-sector problem, and another huge win for America. It is time for us to come together as a Nation to keep America on its path of greatness. This is not a red State or blue State issue. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. This is a red, white, and blue American issue. We must make sure American infrastructure allows our people to compete in the global economy now and in the future. In an economy that we not only participate in, but that we dominate, that America takes its rightful place in the world when it comes to what we are able to do. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the President's rescission of the onerous regulations unleashed our economy, and we are seeing the best job numbers that we have seen in over half a century. Now, in order for that success to be sustained and long-term, it is incumbent that we upgrade our infrastructure. So I call on all my colleagues to work together and come up with creative solutions to pay for these very necessary improvements and to support the bills I have outlined today. America's best times lie in front of her, not behind her. And once again, it is Yankee ingenuity that will lead us to the top again and we will become that country that others long to belong to and become a part of. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 9. Madam Speaker, if we are really going to speak about what makes sense, what doesn't make sense, or what does have a relevance, let's not forget about who bears the brunt of the cost of what we are talking about. It is hardworking Americans. I find it interesting that we talk about: Well, do you know what, you guys did stuff the last time that prevented us from getting amendments in, so we are following along with the same thing. I have great respect for the chairman of the Rules Committee, but I have to say that if the whole purpose of this is what I think it is, then I would like to go back to the actual beginning where this should have been treated as a treaty and it should have gotten the advice and consent of the Senate. Why did President Obama not do that? Obviously, he did it because he couldn't get the advice and consent of the Senate, so he decided to do it this way. If our whole job in coming to the people's House is to defend the American people, then we need to take a real long look at what it is that we are trying to defend. This bill today is a messaging bill, there is no question about it. If you look at the damage that could be done to the American people-- I am talking about the American people now, not a philosophy that is out there, not an agenda that is out there, but I am talking about hardworking Americans: a loss of nearly 400,000 jobs--this is according to the Heritage Foundation--an average manufacturing loss of over 200,000 jobs, a total income loss of more than $20,000 per family, a GDP loss of over $2.5 trillion, and increases in household electricity expenditures between 13 percent and 20 percent. The biggest offenders in the world are China and India, and they aren't part of this so- called agreement. If we are really concerned about protecting the people who sent us here to be their voice, then we ought to look at what their voice is and who bears the burden of a philosophy, a failed philosophy, that has no chance of working itself into law. We know that, and yet today we will come here, and we will rail against something that isn't really on the list of what the American people have the greatest concerns over. The people who I represent back in Pennsylvania, they thank me every day for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act because it has reduced their utility bills.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today exemplifies what this body is supposed to be about, the people's House acting in the best interest of the people. Republicans and Democrats have come together to pass the Taxpayer First Act, landmark legislation to reform the IRS so it better works for every single American. I am honored to have coauthored this bill with my good friend, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis). I thank the gentleman for his commitment to the taxpayers and for working with me on a great achievement for the American people. We all work for the American people, whether you are sitting in this House, or whether you are a member of some agency. And we look at the 80,000 employees at the IRS, and we know that they work with an $11 billion budget which is supplied by hardworking American taxpayers. It should work in their best interest. Over the last 2 years, the Ways and Means Committee and various subcommittees held hearings and other events to discover what is working, and what isn't. As we looked at redesigning the IRS, we focused on improving the relationship between our taxpayers and our government. Both sides agree that the IRS should prioritize taxpayers' rights and that it should be a resource and not an adversary to the American people. This bill will achieve those goals. Americans will interact with an IRS that carries out customer service like we do in the private sector; improved support with services online, in person and on the phone will finally become a reality. Gone are those days when you would walk into a business and there would be a complaint department. Instead, it has been replaced by customer service. The IRS is going to be a customer service agency. Let's look at what this legislation will do. First, to achieve the mission outlined above, the agency's quality service motto will no longer just be a motto that rings hollow. The bill requires the IRS to adopt commonsense, private-sector-like customer service standards; things as simple as a callback option so Americans aren't stuck on hold for hours on end. Secondly, we are overhauling the IRS' enforcement tools so families and small businesses don't have property unfairly seized. The Constitution guarantees all Americans the right to due process and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. Our legislation prevents outrageous enforcement abuses to protect taxpayers from unfair seizures. Third, the Taxpayer First Act recasts the IRS as our tax administrator rather than simply an enforcement agency. It is more than a semantic difference. It would change the culture at the agency for the better. Another way it will protect taxpayers is by creating an independent appeals office. This will give taxpayers a fair and impartial review of disputes they may have with the IRS. We also took note of the fact that it shouldn't take a Freedom of Information Act request to see what evidence the IRS is using against taxpayers in those disputes. This legislation will make sure you can see your individual case file when resolving a dispute with the agency. Lastly, we are revamping the IRS' outdated and ancient technology which will better position the agency to proactively combat cyber threats. IRS employees are forced to use technology that is outrageously outdated; some of it dates back to the 1960s. This bill provides accountability to the IRS for the billions in funding it is given for IT each year. That accountability extends to protections against cyber threats. We must ensure that taxpayer information is safe and that refunds are not at risk to thieves. This legislation strengthens the IRS' partnership with States and the private sector to combat those threats. Taken together, these reforms will greatly benefit Americans each year during tax season and end disputes with the IRS. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1957, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank Mr. Lewis so much. I can't tell the gentleman what an honor it is to be on the floor with him today in the people's House, working on legislation that benefits every single American, something he has done all his life. To be here with Mr. Lewis today and to get this done is incredible. It has often been said that, if you do the right thing for the right reasons, good things happen. Wouldn't it be great today if all of our colleagues come together to do the right thing for the right reason, for the right people: our hardworking American taxpayers. This is an incredible day for America to look at the people's House and say this was a day when both Democrats and Republicans came together to do the right thing at the right time, for the right people. It has been an incredible honor, and I want to thank the staff. As we know, it is the staff that does so much work and puts in hour after hour after hour to make this a success. I can't thank them all enough for what they have all done. It has been incredible work. It was done not just in the best interest of the Congressperson for whom they work because, more importantly, they work for the American people. It is always great being with Mr. Lewis, especially on a day like this. It has been an incredible day for the American people, to prove to them that, in Washington, D.C., the people's House is doing that, working together for them, bringing us together as a body, a legislative body, something that they have been looking for and looking to and saying: Why can't you all just get together and do the right thing? Today is the day that that is going to happen. I thank Mr. Lewis so much for working with us and getting this done, and, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this important legislation to the floor. I rise in strong support of H.R. 88, a comprehensive package that in many ways will help millions of American families save more of their own money for their future. Among H.R. 88's many important features is a section that includes key elements of three retirement savings bills that I have been proud to introduce and champion over the last 2 years. One of those bills, the Family Savings Act, stood as one of the three main pillars of Tax Reform 2.0, which passed this House with bipartisan support in September. With H.R. 88, much of that bill, along with my bipartisan Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act and bipartisan Rightsizing Pension Premiums Act, is one giant step closer to becoming law. In short, this package is a wonderful gift at Christmas for all Americans, and it cannot come soon enough. Americans should be able to rely on three main sources of retirement income to ensure full financial security during their retirement years: first, Social Security; second, personal savings; and third, employer- sponsored savings plans. Now, when it comes to that third source, an alarming number of Americans do not have access to an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. Among those who do, a recent study found that 42 percent of them have less than $10,000 in their plan. Combined with the fact that more than 60 percent of Americans don't have enough cash to cover a $1,000 emergency expense, the passage of today's package is especially critical. Specifically, H.R. 88 will make it easier for small employers to pool together and offer retirement plans to their employees. This would help bridge the divide between the benefits that large employers might offer to their employees and those that smaller employers only wish that they could offer. Overall, this will help ensure that the next generation of Americans doesn't outlive its savings. I have to tell you, one of the things that I remember so clearly as a child growing up is my mother and dad saying to me: The one thing we never want to be to you kids is a burden. I thought to myself, my gosh, my mom and dad are worried about being a burden to my brothers and sisters, after all they have done for us? What we are trying to do is make up for that. The Greatest Generation, they are telling us they don't want to be a burden to the next generation. How American is that? That has nothing to do with Republicans and Democrats. That has to do with who we are as Americans. This H.R. 88 accomplishes a lot of those goals, but I have to tell you, a secure retirement for every American should not be a partisan issue, and we know it is not. So, today, let's come together as a unified body and send this bill to the Senate, for the sake of every American's peace of mind during this season of peace. Before I conclude, I also want to highlight the railroad track maintenance tax credit for the short-line railroads and the extension of the biodiesel tax credit. Each of these actions will directly support economic growth and job creation in rural communities across America. As I look across to the other side, I think we are all the same. I can remember, as a child growing up, sitting down and making up a list and sending it off to the North Pole, telling Santa Claus everything I wanted. But I can remember coming down on Christmas morning, and I never got everything I wanted, but I was really thankful for everything I got.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this is bipartisan. This is who we are. If we cannot secure the future for those who have done so much for us, what are we doing here? This is a wonderful opportunity for us to act at a time of year when it is much more important to give than it is to receive.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1084, I call up the bill (H.R. 6757) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage retirement and family savings, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6757, currently under consideration.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume and thank leadership for bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 6757, the Family Savings Act, which will make it easier for American families and individuals to save for their future, whether it is retirement, education, or healthcare, helping them to make sure that they are keeping more of their hard-earned income, more of their own money, and planning for their future. This bill will also help local businesses provide retirement plans to their workers and help workers participate more in all those plans. Now, according to the Department of Labor and the Federal Reserve, about 69 million American workers have formal retirement plans, which, together, have almost $14 trillion in savings for them. This bill will incentivize hardworking American taxpayers to continue to put away more of their own money for their future. One of the things I remember so clearly from growing up is my parents talking to us all the time and saying: The one thing we never want to be for you kids is a burden. We never want to be a hardship for you as we go into our senior years. I thought to myself at that time: How could anybody look across the table at people who had worked so hard, had come through the Great Depression, had come through World War II, had come through the Korean war, had gone through all kinds of difficulties and had always provided for us and think that? How in the world could they ever think that they would be a burden to me or to my brothers and sisters? It was unimaginable for me, but that is what they thought. That is what they worried about. They never wanted to be a burden to anybody. Just think about that for a minute. That generation, often described as the Greatest Generation, was telling us, the next generation, that they never wanted to be a burden. What we are talking about today is relieving the burden on the next generation by making it easier for people to go into their retirement feeling that they have enough income to actually enjoy their golden years. H.R. 6757 would allow for every American worker, at all income levels, to save money in universal savings accounts, in which those earnings would be tax-free and could be taken out at any time without a penalty. How unique to be able to take your own money out and use it without being penalized by the Federal Government. It would also allow Americans to use their 529 plans to pay for costs associated with home schooling, apprenticeships, just like they now can for primary and secondary schools thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. And if one sibling has more money in a 529 account than he or she needs, another sibling can use some of that money to help pay down their student loans. This bill would allow younger taxpayers to take out some of their own money in their retirement account without penalty when they have a new baby or have an opportunity to adopt a child. This way, younger Americans will feel secure in starting to save for their retirement, knowing that the money could still be there for them at one of the most expensive times in their lives. H.R. 6757 would also make it easier for small employers to pull together and offer retirement plans to their team, to the folks they work with, their associates. This would help bridge that divide between what benefits large employers might be able to offer to their employees but smaller employers may only wish to be able to do but really can't. The bill also allows for older Americans to continue saving in their IRAs if they choose to continue working in their later years, and it allows them to keep their own money in their IRAs if those accounts are relatively modest. For those workers who want their savings accounts to be in conservative investments, such as annuities, this bill reduces the cost of doing that. Finally, this bill would also help our brave men and women in the Reserves put away more of their retirement by letting them contribute the maximum amount to their military retirement accounts while also contributing to a retirement account from the private sector. Mr. Speaker, let me tell you why we are really here today. We are really here today because of the overwhelming success of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It has worked. It is incredible, the growth in our economy. The number one priority from the beginning of everything we did was about pro-growth legislation that actually made it easier on hardworking American families. You know what, despite what you may hear and the rattle from the other side, it worked, and it is working every day. We can see it in every measurable event of what is happening in America. Thanks to tax reform, middle-income families in western Pennsylvania and across America are seeing bigger paychecks, more take-home money. How odd that we allow them to keep more of their own money. That is just who we are as Americans. Democrats have chosen to distort this success. Republicans are choosing to secure the success by making the tax cuts for middle-income families permanent. We keep hearing: Yeah, yeah, but you are not really taking care of them. The idea that we use identity politics every day in every way in this House is absolutely deplorable. Tax reform 2.0 is all about that. The truth of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is its success. The saddest part of it all is not one of our Democratic colleagues voted for it. For that, they will continue to distort the future and use identity politics. Mr. Speaker, I think we have other people who want to talk on this, but for now, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I remind my friends on the other side that a rising tide lifts all boats. There happens to be 6.9 million jobs now looking for somebody to fill them. And when we talk about going into retirement, could we please stop trying to divide, divide, divide America? Could we please start being the United States of America instead of the divided States of America? Every single American benefits from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That is the fact. I am sorry you didn't sign on for it. We are going to give you a second chance today to show your true colors, which needs to red, white, and blue, not just blue. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague's concerns over the debt. In fact, I started to really become alarmed with it under the Obama administration when we went from being $10.6 trillion in debt to nearly $20 trillion in debt. I just wonder, where were you when this was going on? And why was there not any alarm sounding then? But again, it is just politics masquerading as fiscal discipline. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes), a good friend of mine.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, the hero of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to engage in a colloquy with the chairman. Mr. Speaker, one topic that has been discussed in the context of the savings and retirement bill is the level of premiums paid to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the PBGC, by rural electric co- ops and by charitable organizations. I know the Ways and Means Committee included a study that was intended to provide information relevant to the proper level of PBGC premiums. That study was removed by the manager's amendment. Could the chairman provide some insights about how this issue will be resolved as we move forward?