Mike Kelly

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, who has been a longstanding and committed champion of life. Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, the Trump administration proposed cutting title X funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions. Now, the proposed rule does not cut funds from the title X family planning program. Instead, the funds are directed to community health centers like The Primary Health Network in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Countrywide, there are 20 times more community health centers than Planned Parenthoods. In fact, there are absolutely no Planned Parenthood offices in my district, but there are 37 federally funded health centers. Planned Parenthood receives $56 million a year in taxpayer dollars through title X. One of the things I wanted to just talk about for a minute, if I can, today we again grieve at the loss of innocent life, and I just would ask people to look at the loss of innocent life that we see every day in the United States. There are approximately 3,000 abortions performed daily in the United States. So as we grieve so much for the loss of innocent life, I think sometimes we forget about all of the other life that is being lost and we kind of push that aside because we say: The Supreme Court made a ruling that allows that to take place. Regardless, it still is a loss of innocent life, and we see this every day, but somehow as a nation, we have a deaf ear and a blind eye to that loss of innocent life. To me, it just would seem that at some point we look at this and realize it for what it is. I can't tell the other gentleman how much I appreciate the battle that he has continued, and it shouldn't be a battle. We are all trying to do the same thing, and it is to make sure that innocent life is protected. So this piece, it doesn't take any money at all away from the title X family planning program. It does take a look at Planned Parenthood and says, you cannot use this taxpayer-funded money, this $56 million to $60 million a year to provide abortions. I would just ask the country as a whole, and the Nation, and we, as a people, to please take a look at what is going on. This loss of innocent life is so tragic and so unnecessary, and I say that because I know a lot of the pregnancies are unintended, but there are loving families waiting for children who are there, who are willing, and who are wanting to provide a loving home for children. So I would like to see if we can somehow come to an agreement or come to an understanding about what is being lost every day--3,000 innocent lives a day. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate what the gentleman is doing. I know how hard it has been. It is so hard for some people to weigh in on it, but I just think there is a conscience that we all need to have, and preserving life is one of those.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this type of language is not allowed in the people's House, directing it towards the Presidency.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I would like to recognize one of my constituents in Pennsylvania's Third Congressional District, Mr. William ``Don'' Thomas, who will make history this evening when he becomes the oldest student to ever graduate from Butler County Community College, also known as BC3. Mr. Thomas began taking classes at BC3 in the fall of 2010, and this evening, at 80 years old, he will proudly receive an associate of arts degree in history. Furthermore, Mr. Thomas also represents the most senior graduate in the class of 2018 among our State's four other western institutions within the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. Now, you have got to know something about Mr. Thomas. He is an Air Force veteran who honorably served our country as an Airman Second Class with the 17th Squadron. I want you to think about something. This man, while serving in France from 1956 to 1959, enrolled in classes provided by the University of Maryland held outside the northeastern French town where he was stationed, and while there, he earned 28 credits. All these years later, following a successful life and career, Mr. Thomas decided to enroll at BC3 in order to finish the degree he started in 1956. Mr. Thomas credits much of his academic success to BC3, which has been rated the top community college in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in back-to-back surveys. BC3 president, Dr. Nick Neupauer, is beyond proud of Mr. Thomas and believes his accomplishment is symbolic for the entire community college. Now, additionally, Don Thomas receives an abundance of love and support and encouragement from his beloved wife, Nancy; their six children; their eight grandchildren; and their four great grandchildren. Can you imagine tonight's graduation ceremony when he stands there with all those people and receives his degree? Now, Mr. Thomas was not a traditional college student. He inevitably faced obstacles along the way, but regardless of the circumstances, he never abandoned his goal of earning his degree. Mr. Thomas reminds all of us that, with faith, hard work, and determination, anything is possible. Mr. Thomas embodies the spirit of a lifelong learner and is a living testament to the saying: ``If there is a will, there is a way.'' His unwavering dedication, passion, and perseverance in pursuit of his dream is not only inspiring and amazing, it is quintessentially American. It is who we are as the American people. Mr. Speaker, I am so blessed to be able to stand on the floor of the people's House today and congratulate Mr. Thomas on a job well done and count him as one of our district's finest constituents. Mr. Speaker, I say to Mr. Thomas: Happy graduation day. Happy graduation day.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last week was National Small Business Week. The end of the week brought, appropriately, not just good news, but great news: Unemployment is now below 4 percent for the first time in nearly 20 years. 164,000 new jobs were created last month--24,000 new jobs in manufacturing and 17,000 new jobs in construction. Nearly 3.2 million new jobs have been created since the election of November 2016; We currently have 6.6 million job openings in the United States. This is an all-time high. Wages for small business workers increased last month by 3\1/4\ percent. That is the strongest rate of increase in over 2 years. All this, plus: Female unemployment is at its lowest level since 2000; Black unemployment is at its lowest level ever; Hispanic unemployment is at its lowest level ever; Consumer confidence is at its highest level since 2004; Job market confidence is at its highest level ever; and Small business confidence is at its highest level ever. Because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, since February, 90 percent of American workers--that is nine out of 10 American workers--have been opening bigger, less-taxed paychecks. They have more take-home pay, which means that they get to keep more of their hard-earned money to spend the way they want to spend it, not the way Washington wants to spend it. More than 530 companies, and counting, have reinvested billions and billions of dollars into their businesses and our Nation's economy. As a result, more than 4 million American workers, and counting, have received major bonuses and/or pay raises and/or benefit increases. This includes employees at local companies in western Pennsylvania like Erie Insurance, who gave their workers a $1,000 bonus, and then another $1,000 to their retirement plan. NextTier Bank did the same thing, $1,000 to their workers. And PNC Bank, as well. There are a lot of good people who work for national companies, like Home Depot and Walmart. Walmart alone employs 4,000 people in western Pennsylvania. Energy bills have gone down for more than 87 million of our fellow citizens in 48 States. That is an incredible lowering of their cost of living. According to the International Energy Agency, the United States is on track to be the world's largest oil producer by 2023. The significance of this is that we no longer have to be held hostage by bad actors around the world when it comes to energy. We will be the biggest exporters of energy in the world. And when we ask other people not to buy from these folks because of their intentions of how to use that money, we can replace what they are not able to buy there with our own homegrown energy. That is an incredible advantage. Thanks to the most recent National Defense Authorization Act--now, think about this--our sons and daughters who serve in uniform are going to be enjoying their largest pay increase in 8 years. The facts are clear: America is winning again. Speaker Ryan was addressing a group the other day, and I want to quote him, because I think this is so appropriate for where we are today: ``We are working on reforms to get more people out of poverty and into the workforce. We need to make sure that workers have the right skills they need to get a job and a good career.'' I am talking about a family-sustaining career, a community-building career, a career that actually allows us to dream. Right now, our economy is thriving. Americans are right to feel good about how things are going. We have not seen those kinds of optimistic statistics in such a long, long time. So we are going to keep pushing. We are going to keep pushing to close the skills gap. We are going to close the opportunity gap. We are going to make sure that all these jobs that are being made available are being filled with workers who are getting great careers and good lives and going from poverty and welfare to work. The dignity of being able to get up in the morning and go to work, to take care of your families, to take care of your community, to take care of your churches and schools, what an incredible lift that is for the American people. Listen, our Better Way agenda is about one thing and one thing only: it is about building stronger families, about building stronger communities, about building a stronger America. It is what we are in the middle of executing and implementing right now. We are really excited to see the great economic news that comes as a result of all these things that we have been working on. I want you to think about something, Mr. Speaker. Never, never in at least a decade has America been winning the way we are winning today in every way and every day. America is truly winning again, and we are making America great again.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and giving me some time. Mr. Speaker, I just heard the phrase that ``I am appalled'' by what is taking place on the floor today. I will tell you, I join in those comments, and I really do believe that. For a person whose family has been in the automobile business since 1953 and sold thousands and thousands of cars to people of any color, it doesn't matter the color of the person buying the car. Do we match them up with the transportation need that they were looking for, and were we able to arrange financing that was affordable to them? You cannot be in business for 65 years doing it the wrong way. To impugn the integrity of the automobile people is absolutely beyond reproach. If you run out of facts, I guess the next thing you have to go to is discrimination. When we talk this way, it is so divisive, but that is the platform: Let's divide them, let's try to separate them-- the color of the skin, the shape of their eye, their gender. Let's make sure that we can make every statement possible to show that there are bad people out there doing things to other folks and it is only by discrimination that these things get done. I will tell you, I am greatly offended as a member of the automobile industry and as someone who has served thousands of people. If you think the dealers are that bad, please go to your hometown and look at the Little League fence and find out whose name is out there. Look at your high school programs and see who it is that is funding all these things. Go to any charity and see who is on the list of who takes care of people. To sit here today and have to listen to that somehow this is discriminatory just adds to the fact that when you are out of facts, when you don't know what you are talking about and what you have never done--not one of your people have ever been on the floor and--not this floor. I am talking about the automobile floor. You know an awful lot about laptops, but you know nothing about blacktop. You get on that floor, you get on that lot, and you work with people to make sure they can have affordable transportation--affordable transportation. Rather than this person trying to arrange financing by himself or herself, we rely on a dealer, who has great, great heft within the financial community and to talk to lenders and say, ``We have a great customer here who is looking to buy a car. We need you to work with us to get them in this transportation.'' How in the world can you reduce this down to discrimination? We are doing the same thing every day that you are doing. We are trying to make sure that we are making America great every day in every way. The best way to do that is to stop talking about discrimination and start talking about the Nation. We are coming together as a people in spite of what you say.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5443) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require electronic filing of the annual returns of exempt organizations and provide for making such returns available for public inspection, as amended.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5443, currently under consideration.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5443. This bill, in short, would ensure that all nonprofits file their tax forms electronically so that the charitable community can better assist those in need. First, I want to thank Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy today for cosponsoring this important legislation with me. This provision is identical to one that my colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Blumenauer, and I introduced in a larger tax package, the CHARITY Act, along with Senators Thune and Casey on the Senate Finance Committee in 2017. Before I discuss this bill in greater detail, I want to look across the room to my great friend, Mr. John Lewis. It was in 2015 that Mr. Lewis and I crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. It was at that time that Mr. Lewis stopped and spent some time with my grandson George. And as we were walking across the bridge, George, who was 8 at the time, said: ``Grandpa, we are actually going to do this. We are going to go across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Mr. Lewis.'' I said: ``That's right, George, we are.'' He said: ``Well, Grandpa, this is the 50th anniversary.'' I said: ``Yes, George, it is.'' He said: ``Well, can we come back for the 100th anniversary?'' I said: ``George, we will do that together. You and I will come across the bridge at the 100th anniversary.'' He said: ``Grandpa, how old are you right now?'' I said: ``Well, George, I am 65.'' He said: ``Grandpa, it may be hard for you to get across that bridge.'' I said: ``Georgie, don't worry. If I can't walk, you can push me across.'' That was a great weekend for George. And for Mr. Lewis, I have always felt he is such an iconic figure in this House for people who stood up for civil rights. That weekend was one of the most gracious weekends and best weekends with my son my grandson had. So I can't tell you how much I appreciate being with you on the floor today. When it comes to charity, the American people are truly unique. In fact, Americans are the most generous in the world according to the new Almanac of American Philanthropy. In a first-of-its-kind survey, the almanac found that Americans out-donate Britain and Canada 2-to-1 and nations like Italy and Germany 20-to-1. What is more, more than half of almost every single income level in America donates to charity. That is remarkable, and it makes me proud to be an American and proud of our Nation's history of philanthropy. In its earliest form, the word ``philanthropy'' comes from the Greek term ``philanthropia,'' which simply meant ``love of mankind.'' The meaning has evolved over time, but, from the earliest days of human civilization, we have depended upon kindness directed towards strangers and others. We define ``philanthropy'' today as the practice of organized, systematic giving to improve the quality of human life through the promotion of welfare and social change. Throughout every age, American philanthropists have demonstrated the power of giving to create great and meaningful change. In my own congressional district in western Pennsylvania, we have many wonderful organizations that demonstrate the power of giving each and every day. In Erie, Pennsylvania, we have The Erie Community Foundation, the United Way of Erie, and the Black Family Foundation. As a businessman and leader in the energy sector, Pat Black and his family started a small, private foundation in 1993. Here is one individual who took it upon himself to create a charitable organization to give back to his community. And we have many other good corporate citizens in Erie, as well, such as Erie Insurance. More than half a century ago, Erie Insurance's founder, H.O. Hirt, had a lifelong concern for others who were less fortunate, and today Erie Insurance and its employees follow Mr. Hirt's example and continue this tradition of giving of food and clothing and other drives that help out in the community. And since it is tax filing week, all these charitable organizations must file their tax forms, called 990s, which brings us back to why we are here today on the floor considering H.R. 5443. Our bill would make it mandatory that 990s be filed electronically going forward. Electronic filing, or e-filing, is not only more efficient; it costs taxpayers less and the IRS less to administer. This requirement will boost transparency in the tax-exempt sector by requiring all nonprofits to file their returns electronically. Today, approximately 60 percent of all 990s are filed electronically, but the remaining 40 percent are still paper filed and not released as open data. In addition to requiring e-filing of the 990 form be mandatory for tax-exempt organizations, the bill would make such returns available to the public in a machine-readable format. So why is this important? Better 990 information, when searchable and available to the public, allows for better scrutiny and better transparency. Jacob Harold, president of GuideStar, which collects and disseminates information from nonprofits' returns, says: ``The more easily people can access that data, the better.'' A readable, searchable format that will help improve efficiency and accuracy and reduce fraud, e-filing has served as a highly effective tool in exposing scam charities, and it will make it easier to catch these few bad actors who are using tax donations for personal gain only. For example, in 2015, the Federal Trade Commission, the District of Columbia, and all 50 States filed a lawsuit against four scam cancer charities calling themselves the Cancer Fund. Their owners had used over 95 percent of the $187 million in charitable donations for their own personal benefit. This lawsuit took almost 4 years because of the difficulty of analyzing thousands and thousands of pages of data that were filed on paper. Our bill will correct that. Hundreds of millions of dollars from generous Americans were wasted because their donations were going to a fraudster and not helping researchers to find a cure for cancer. To take money away from cancer patients is just plain wrong and immoral. Our bill wants to make sure this doesn't happen in the future. Now, how would that happen? Changes could be brought sooner against these scam charities, in less than 1 year instead of 4, if the return information had been available electronically. There are countless examples that prove that this can be the case. The State of Michigan is a great model for just how valuable access to machine-readable data is. To date, Michigan has shut down the most number of scam nonprofits out of all 50 States. This is because of the Michigan attorney general's ability to manipulate and analyze researchable data. This bipartisan bill would help expose these shams nationally by ensuring nonprofits are e-filing annual returns. Therefore, I urge my colleagues on both sides to support this important good-government, antifraud bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Yes, it is true, Americans are a charitable group. In fact, we are the most generous people in the world. Our Nation's history of philanthropy, charities, and loving people are the envy of the world. In 2016 alone, Americans gave $390 billion, with 63 million Americans, 25 percent of the adult population, volunteering their time, their talent, their energy, and their dollars to make a difference. As a recent commentator noted, Americans have it in their DNA to be philanthropic. Of all the countries, we are the most generous. Because I know my colleagues have it in their DNA to support our Nation's unique philanthropic history and charitable community, I urge them to vote in favor of this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today it is my distinct honor to recognize the dedicated career and community service of my constituent and dear friend, Ginny Steese Richardson of Mercer County, upon her retirement as the Treasurer of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Ginny served the residents of Mercer County as Treasurer for 23 years, from 1994 until 2017. Ginny has lived a lifetime of service to others. Her volunteer service and commitment to improving Mercer County and the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began as a young girl growing up on a farm in Grove City, where she learned the value of a hard day's work and the importance of keeping one's word. Over the year's Ginny has been a member of the Mercer County Pomona Grange, the London Grange #1492, the Grove City Sportsmen's Club, the Grove City Kiwanis, the Grove City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. One of Ginny's most valuable contributions to the Mercer County community has been her and her family's lifelong commitment to the Mercer County Grange Fair, where she has served as the secretary of the Fair Board for the last 30 years and has also served as the past chairman. Ginny has also served as the treasurer of the Mercer County Farm Tour. In addition to her commitment to the business and agricultural communities of Mercer County, Ginny has served as the past secretary of the Mercer County Republican Party and is currently serving as the party Chairman. In this capacity, Ginny has helped many candidates on their path to victory with wise words of counsel. While serving as the Mercer County Treasurer, Ginny was very active in the Pennsylvania State Treasurer's Association and was chosen by her peers to serve as the president of this organization. During her tenure she also served on the Dog Law Advisory Board. I wish Ginny great success and happiness in her well-deserved retirement. I join her entire community in thanking her for her years of service.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, tonight I will have the privilege of hearing the State of the Union Address that I have been waiting to hear since I first came to Congress 7 years ago. Tonight our entire country will hear a confident message of undeniable good news for all Americans--not based on fantasy and hope, but on facts and undeniable success. Tonight the President of the United States will come to the people's House and speak to a nation that is far better off today than we were just 1 year ago in every measurable way. Now, this success did not come by accident. Over the past year, by working with a unified Congress, President Trump was able to begin implementing his agenda to Make America Great Again. Let's revisit what he has done when it comes to accomplishments. The signing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act marked the first time our Tax Code was updated in over 31 years. It lowered tax rates for all taxpayers across the board, and it cut the corporate tax rate down from 35 percent to 21 percent which allows us to compete globally. It permanently repealed ObamaCare's individual mandate. It opened up ANWR for drilling and brand new energy exploration. When it comes to deregulation, he signed 15 CRA bills into law in less than a year, imposed a groundbreaking rule on the Federal bureaucracy to kill two regulations for every new regulation written, and has rolled back more job-killing red tape than every President before him combined. When it comes to the courts, by appointing conservatives like Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and a historic number to the appellate courts, he is restoring constitutionalism and common sense to our judiciary system. These appointments will reverberate for generations to come. Now, when it comes to the outcomes, the entire stock market is at an all-time high. Contrary to what some people will speak, this affects the pensions of all Americans. Female unemployment is at its lowest level since 2001. Black and Hispanic unemployment are at their lowest levels ever. For 13 different States, overall unemployment is at its lowest rate since we first began recording it. New manufacturing orders are increasing at their fastest pace in 14 years. Quarterly GDP is exceeding expectations and is on track for a 3 percent annual growth rate for the first time in 13 years. Consumer confidence is at its highest level since 2000. Job market confidence is at its highest level ever, and because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act alone, more than 3 million American workers--and counting--are receiving $1,000 bonuses, or more, wage increases, and/or benefit increases. Now, in my own city that I live in, NexTier Bank gave over 250 of its associates a $1,000 bonus. Those are hardly crumbs when it comes to hardworking American taxpayers. Abroad, the Islamic State--once thought to be unstoppable--is now shattered. Military morale, recently at rock bottom, is now soaring. Our troops are currently receiving their largest pay raise in 8 years. When it comes to liberty and conscience issues, we ended the war on religious liberty. We tore up the so-called HHS contraceptive mandate; no more nuns fighting for their survival in the Supreme Court; and we reinstated the Mexico City policy the first weekend in office. When it comes to energy, we ended the war on coal, we stopped the EPA's so-called Clean Power Plan, we approved both the Keystone XL and Dakota pipelines, and we have plans in place to dramatically expand offshore drilling. When it comes to American leadership, we pulled out of the Paris climate accord, we ended the Cuba appeasement, we condemned and decertified the Iran deal, and Guantanamo Bay is still open with no threat of closing. By changing the rules of engagement, trusting our generals, and unleashing our military might, he has overseen the total destruction of the ISIS caliphate. The entire world is safer because of American leadership. Through his words and deeds--most recently with Jerusalem-- the world sees America leading with moral clarity and confidence again. Mr. Speaker, tonight I will have the privilege of hearing the State of the Union that I have been waiting to hear for 7 years. Tonight we will look at an economy and a State of the Union that is as strong as Pittsburgh steel. Our economy is roaring, and America's optimism is soaring. Our citizens are becoming more prosperous. Our law enforcement is becoming empowered and not undermined. Our military is growing stronger by the day. Our international credibility is being restored. Our friends, once again, trust us; and our enemies, once again, fear us. The whole world knows that we will also put America first. But this is just the start. There is still much work left to be done. But as of today, the facts say it all: America is winning again.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, we are locked in a debate today over something that we don't have to be locked in a debate about. Our friends on the other side know that everything that was in our proposal, you agreed with. There was nothing in that proposal that you were against. I hear you talked tonight about all the things that you are still in favor of. Those were the same things that we had in our bill the other day, but you voted against it. We are now in the middle of a Schumer shutdown, not because of what the House didn't do, but because of what the Senate refuses to do. Dates have importance. We knew the government would shut down if we did not fund it yesterday. We know that DACA has until March 5 to be addressed. Yet, today, we come here with this phony argument that somehow we are on the same page, we are trying to do the same things. But do you know what? We just can't vote that way to get there. America is watching, and America is understanding right now that this is the Schumer shutdown. Let there be no question about who it is that has failed the American people. Let there be no question that when it comes to CHIP and all of those bleeding hearts that say, ``You need to do this, you need to do this,'' and say, ``We did it for 5 years, now we want to do it for 6 years,'' you are still saying, ``Not quite good enough for me to vote on.'' And when you talk about our military and how much you admire what 1 percent does to protect the rest of the 99 percent of the country, and then you stand up here and say, ``I would have voted for it except for one thing, it doesn't include DACA.'' There is no legislation for DACA right now. It was never in jeopardy. We have until March 5 to get it straightened out. But we do not have any more time to sit here and not open up this government. My friends, please, abandon the Gruber effect and tell the truth and know that America is watching, and America understands that this shutdown is based on Mr. Schumer's inability to get his people on board, people who aren't necessarily needed to be involved. We know we can't do it with 51 votes. We need to do it with 60 votes. Please look in your civics book and find out how it works. Let's vote tonight. Let's walk out of here tonight united as an American House of the people. My time may be expired, but do you know what? Americans' patience is getting more and more expired.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I think the interesting part of our conversation tonight is what we are talking about. We are talking about the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act; the born-alive abortion survivors. This is such a commonsense bill, it just protects our children. I wonder what people think about this: in the case of an abortion or an attempted abortion that results in a child being born alive, any healthcare practitioner present must exercise professional care to preserve the life of the child. The child must be immediately transported and admitted to a hospital. This bill is needed to protect our children. Americans have seen the horrifying videos of Planned Parenthood, and the Judiciary Committee has heard testimony from women who have survived and whose children have survived abortion. But I think what is more chilling than anything, in the United States of America--the biggest defender of life, and liberty, and freedom in the world, that is our history--we have to pass a law that protects children who survive an attempted abortion. These are children that are born alive. It is incredible that we have to even have that discussion in the people's House, especially the United States of America. Where have we become this depraved of what our moral constitution needs to be? It is unbelievable that we have to come to this House and on this floor and defend those lives. Now, it has been said oftentimes that 90 percent of life is showing up, because when you show up, people know you care. On Friday, hundreds of thousands of Americans from all over our country will come to Washington, D.C., in the March for Life. They have done this for 45 years. For 45 years, their passion has never diminished. For 45 years, they have made the trip to Washington, D.C., so that our country's leaders, political leaders, understand the sanctity of life. It is incredible that we have to go through this process. The United States is only one of seven countries in the world that allows abortion after 5 months. I wish we would quit using the term 20 weeks--5 months. Who is included in that group? North Korea, Vietnam, and China. What a wonderful group to be part of. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman because he has fought this fight for so long. I ask Mr. Smith to just think of the last 45 years, the number of people who have come here, the number of people who have marched for life, and we talk about what it is that we are trying to get to. Now, we know there has been 60 million abortions--60 million little boys and little girls who never got to live the full potential of their life. But through the efforts of the pro-life movement, what we can count are the numbers of expectant mothers who were going to have an abortion, but, through the efforts of people like Chris Smith, stopped and thought for a minute about what it was they were actually going to do, and that was end a life. We don't have those numbers, but I have to tell you, they have to be off the charts. Another thing I think is so important, for those folks who did go through an abortion, it is time for them to know that there is forgiveness and there is mercy. There is always room in our hearts to embrace them and get them through that difficult period. Mr. Speaker, I can't tell you how important this piece of legislation is. It is just so chilling. I am going to repeat it again: a law that allows children who are born alive in an attempted abortion have got to be protected by the people's House. Where in our hearts, as human beings, do we not understand the basic moral obligations and rights that we have? It is just so hard to come here year after year to do this. But for 45 years--for 45 years--they have shown up in droves, millions and millions of Americans, talking about life and protecting life. We have another chance this Friday for all of us to show up and for all of us to be there. I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, 90 percent of life is showing up because people know you care. I thank Mr. Smith of New Jersey so much for showing up for 45 years. We do know the gentleman cares, and we do know his compassion and his dedication to life.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, first of all, we need to ask ourselves, what does H.R. 4318 do, the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act? It is going to make it easier for American manufacturers to compete globally. As my friend, Mr. Pascrell, has just said to you, for so many years, we have put ourselves at the wrong end of the way things should work. We add tariffs, we add taxes on the people who manufacture. This is a commonsense bill. In every measurable way, our country and our people are the beneficiaries of this bill. Now, through this legislation, Congress will be able to reduce or totally suspend the tariffs, which are essentially a tax. At the end of the day, by giving tariff relief to U.S. businesses, this will reduce manufacturing costs, therefore, making products more competitive for U.S. consumers. It is a win-win for America's consumers and for American workers. For decades, Congress has passed this type of legislation to boost the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing by lowering the cost of imported goods without unnecessarily harming U.S.-based companies that produce competing products. Now, let me just take, for example, a company back in Pennsylvania, Lasko Products. Mr. Pascrell and I sat in a hearing and we listened to these folks as they talked about what makes them competitive, what takes them off the shelf where they can't compete, and too often it was their own country that was making it difficult. Lasko is an 11-year-old company. They employ 1,000 people. Now, Mr. McCasey, who is the chief operating officer, came and talked to us. When you hear what goes on with Lasko--this is in his words, and I think this is where we have to really concentrate--Mr. McCasey says: We are in a business of pennies and can sometimes lose the sale of a fan to an overseas competitor due to a cost differential of 20 to 30 cents. So what is it that Lasko makes? It makes fans. Seventy-two percent of their fans are portable fans. Why in the world would their own government make it harder for them to compete in a global economy? It makes absolutely no sense. We have come together, both sides, in agreement that, if there is something that we can do, why wouldn't we do it? Why wouldn't we make it easier for our own companies to compete? Why wouldn't we make it easier not just for us to compete, why wouldn't we make it easier for us to win, and win in big ways? This piece of legislation is so commonsense. There is nothing in it that both sides don't agree on. Quite frankly, and I agree with Mr. Pascrell, this is the first step, but we have got to go even further. When we see what has happened in our country since last year, the Trump administration's policies and the numbers that we have seen rising and escalating at such an ascent that we didn't ever expect this to happen this quickly, when we see America winning again, we know that that means America's workers, every man and woman, everybody in America benefits through this legislation because we make ourselves competitive on the global stage. There is no reason for America ever to take a backseat to anybody else in the world, and we do it through commonsense legislation. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and Mr. Pascrell. It is good to be on the same team. It is good to be winning and keeping America winning as we go forward.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. When we are in this House, the people's House, I know sometimes the message goes back and forth. Unfortunately, this idea of identity politics is what we have to play all the time. Instead of talking to the American people, we talk past the American people, and we try to make it so divisive that they can't see the facts. I would just tell my friends on the other side, as a child growing up, I think all of us were the same. We would sit down about this time of year, and we would write a letter to Santa. We would ask Santa Claus for everything we wanted. Then we would mail it off to the North Pole. Then we would come down on Christmas morning, and we would see that Christmas tree and all those gifts laid out. We never got everything we wanted, but we were sure thankful for everything we got. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is so critical. When we talk about debt, if I were to tell an investor: For every $1 that you invest, I can return $1.90 on it, they would be excited. Let me just explain something when we talk about American families. It is not Republican families, by the way, not Democrat families, or Libertarian families. I am talking about American families. A typical family of four earning $73,000 a year will see a cut in their taxes of $2,059. A single parent with one child earning $41,000 a year will see a tax reduction of $1,304. I would ask my friends, please do not be on the wrong side of history. You will have an opportunity today to do something that is great for America, to make America great again. We look at everything that is going on, and we decide that somehow, in this House, we must be divisive and not united. When we think that somehow giving people more of their own money back is the wrong policy, when we think that somehow giving tax relief to every single American is the wrong policy, when we think that the tone and tint of somebody's skin, the shape of their eye, where they worship, where they live, what they earn is the main issue, and we can divide them as a people, that is absolutely wrong. It is totally un-American. What is truly pro-American is making sure that every single American gets to keep more of her or his money that they earn in a day, and they don't have to give it to the government. Nothing could be more simple. Nothing could be more easy. I would ask all my friends to please, let's act in the best interest of America. Forget the identity politics. Look at what is good for those neighbors of yours, those friends of yours, and that family of yours, and let's decide where America is going to go. We have seen a dramatic rise in our economy since the last election. This tax cuts bill, this jobs bill, will allow this economy to take off where all boats will rise. Not just red boats or blue boats, but red, white, and blue boats. It will happen at the best time of the year, a time when people look to this House to do the right thing for the right reason. Good things happen when we do that. This is an incredible opportunity in the history of the country. The is an incredible opportunity to show the American people that we are not divided as a House. We are united. We are united in doing the right thing for them because it is the right thing, and good things will happen. I would like to wish all my friends on both sides of the aisle and all those folks at home a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays. On Christmas morning, I guarantee you, you may not get everything that you wish for, but you are going to be so thankful for everything you got. Let's pass this tax cut and jobs bill and make sure America moves forward. We have labored for too long behind the rest of the world. Individuals have more take-home pay, corporations will stay home. They will make investments in land, bricks, mortar, equipment, education, and in making our workers the best workers in the world and able to compete anywhere on any stage and win. We will not only just participate, we will dominate, and that will trickle down to every single American, not just red, white, and blue; as I said earlier, not just Republicans or Democrats, but every single American. What a wonderful gift for Christmas.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our football teams back home. These are the Ramblers from Erie Cathedral Prep. This is an outstanding football team. Oftentimes, when we come here, we talk about things and we tend to go around what is going on in our district and things that we are proud of. I think in things like these types of championships that are won, while it happened last weekend, it is something that every single player will remember for the rest of his life, their parents will remember it, and the members of the community will remember it. So to be able to stand here today to talk about the Ramblers is really an opportunity for me and truly an honor. This is the second straight Pennsylvania Quad A State Championship. Cathedral Prep beat Imhotep Charter last week by a score of 38-28. This year's championship makes the Ramblers back-to-back Pennsylvania State champions, and it is their fourth State football title overall. Led by Coach Mike Mischler, the Ramblers have now gone 42-2, appearing in the finals each year and racking up 28 consecutive wins over the last three seasons. Now, achieving back-to-back State titles sets these Ramblers apart even in the storied history of western Pennsylvania high school football, and they deserve every bit of adulation that they have received. They are a great source of pride for not only the city of Erie, but all of northwestern Pennsylvania. It is also worth mentioning that the Wilmington High School Greyhounds in Lawrence County gave it their all in a loss last week in Pennsylvania's PIAA Class 2A State title game at Hersheypark Stadium. Now, this was the Greyhounds' third trip to the title game under legendary Coach Terry Verrelli, who announced his retirement after 40 years on the job right after the game. In those 40 years, Coach Verrelli amassed 314 wins, making him only the 15th high school football coach in Pennsylvania's esteemed football history to reach the 300-win plateau. More valuable than any of his victories on the field are the countless victories he helped his young players achieve in their lives off the field. I think that sometimes we miss the really strong point about competition at the scholastic level or any level. I would tell you for both these teams, this Erie Prep team, for a lot of these young men, this mission started when they were playing little midget football or pee wee football, and it continued all through their lives. The same thing--their parents supporting them as they go along and their communities supporting them as they go along. These guys are always one moment, one thought, and one memory away from being right back on this field in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and winning the State title. The same with the Greyhounds. When you talk about high school football history, people talk about Texas and they talk about Pennsylvania. But I got to tell you, the Friday Night Lights story started in Pennsylvania, so with all due respect to my friends from Texas, the Keystone State was the first when it came to Friday Night Lights and the great pride it brought to these communities. The 2017 teams at Cathedral Prep and Wilmington High School in Pennsylvania's Third District, along with the championship-winning Pine-Richland Rams--which is just outside the Third District, and they won the State championship--again, they add to this really storied history of football in western Pennsylvania. More importantly, they add to the local lore and pride that strengthen communities like Erie and New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The hard work, perseverance, and hometown pride that allowed each of these teams to reach the championship is a reflection on the communities, the families, and the people who live in these towns. So, again, I say to the Cathedral Prep Ramblers, to Wilmington High, and to the Pine-Richland Rams: On outstanding, history-making seasons, congratulations. Great job, guys. Although I am a Golden Tornado from Butler, Pennsylvania, I am proud to say: Go Ramblers, Go Greyhounds, and Go Rams.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of one of my constituents, United States Marine Major Eric Burkett, from New Castle, Pennsylvania. Major Burkett was deployed as a member of the 24th Expeditionary Force in Morocco as an Osprey pilot. On April 11, 2012, he was nearly killed in a plane crash, which took the lives of two of his brothers- in-arms. After coming home to Walter Reed, he lost one of his legs and continues to recover from his numerous injuries to this day. His wife, Melissa, who also is a former marine, has been by his side from day 1, along with their loving six children. Major Burkett may never fly again, but already with his recovery he soars high above most of us. It was his spirit of service and patriotism that led him to start a program at Fort Belvoir for adaptive archery for his fellow wounded warriors. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a poem penned by Albert Carey Caswell in his honor and in celebration of his new adaptive home, built thanks to the Gary Sinise Foundation. At this time, I will read an excerpt from this poem: As his two brothers, angels now up to Heaven would rise . . . Coming back home with only his family upon which to rely . . . So all by his side . . . His fine wife, Melissa, and children giving him the strength to try . . . As he knew it was time . . . Time to rebuild his life . . . Armed with his heart of the strength and iron will . . . Giving him the power and courage to nourish him to instill . . . The strength to rebuild . . . Who against all odds our wounded warriors into that dark night move onward still . . . Mr. Speaker, it is people like Major Burkett, whom we celebrate. It is the people who put themselves in danger and harm's way in order to protect the rest of us. I am so proud and humble today to be able to submit this poem in honor of Major Burkett. Osprey De Corps (By Albert Carey Caswell) Osprey Osprey De Corps What a magnificent presence oh for sure And oh what a Osprey De Force As straight as an arrow heading for Truer than true into that face of war To serve and protect His Country Tis of Thee he'll not neglect To reek havoc upon the enemy a shear train wreck All in those magnificent shades of green Such Strength In Honor seen Soaring to new his courage convenes With such impact this United States Marine. Oh to be a United States Marine Who in Strength In Honor are seen Soaring to new heights to intervene To fight the fight What a Osprey De Force awesome sight Who for all us out on his course took flight Marines with wings, one of the most impressive of all things A sheer work of art this human being Swooping down upon the enemy for the Nation he so loves A bulls eye, hitting his mark all in his battle cry To vanquish an enemy straight into the heart of he flies Going from vertical to horizontal as he will not be denied In and out of places others dare not to try Making those boots on the ground realize That he's got their backs up on high Who bleeds Marine green all the time And loves Marines so much he married a Marine this guy One of the baddest of the bad upon which this Nation relies Who leads with his heart as he sets his sights on high Finding his mark An Osprey De Corps all in his part Oh what a force All out on his most heroic course A United States Marine burning bright, this force When, out on a mission crashed as death was at his side As his two brothers, angels now up to Heaven would rise Coming back home with only his family upon which to rely So all by his side His fine wife Melissa and children giving him the strength to try As he knew it was time Time to rebuild his life Armed with his heart of the strength and iron will Giving him the power and courage to nourish him to instill The strength to rebuild Who against all odds our wounded warriors into that dark night move onward still As he won the battle but lose his leg Realizing he'd never fly again on that day When, he looked at his target and then his options weighted So setting his sights high out on his way A Osprey De Corps on his way to recovery with tear in eye seemed as he prayed Bulls eye hitting the mark As soon he was up and out the door Leaving behind a town called pity for sure When, to new heights his heart so soared To Teach Us To Reach Us To Beseech Us All The More Creating his own Hunger Games, with his great appetite for recovery he hungered for And the last time I saw Major Burkett, I had to look up Because, with his fine heart way above me he so soars His wife Melissa he married up for sure With four beautiful children he's thinks he is the luckiest guy and can't ask for more Because, the families are the unsung heroes whenever Johnny goes off to war Who are the ones who must wait and worry all the more And when they come home give them such comfort for their recovery to insure And where would all these heroes be if it were not but for all of these? The families are our unsung heroes each day our Lord so sees Leading the way to recovery Major Burkett all in those shades of green Is one magnificent Osprey De Force seen The pride of Pennsylvania for what he's done and where he's been Its courageous men like him off to war our Nation sends Who help win all those wars upon whom we depend For all that we hold sacred and so love and adore A one fine Osprey De Corps Ooo Rah!

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Greenville Junior-Senior High School in Greenville, Pennsylvania which was recently honored by the Department of Education as a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School. This award, given to only 342 schools in America this year, is based on a school's overall academic performance as well as its progress in closing achievement gaps among its students. In her message of congratulations, Secretary DeVos commended the ``visionaries, innovators and leaders'' who are ``preparing every child for a bright future.'' I am proud to join her in congratulating the teachers and administrators of Greenville, as well as the families of these students for the love and support they provide. Most of all, I congratulate the students themselves for a job well done. They are truly a credit to Pennsylvania's Third District, and to our country. It is an honor to represent them in the People's House.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Laurel Junior-Senior High School in New Castle, Pennsylvania, which was recently honored by the Department of Education as a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School. This award, given to only 342 schools in America this year, is based on a school's overall academic performance as well as its progress in closing achievement gaps among its students. In her message of congratulations, Secretary DeVos commended the ``visionaries, innovators and leaders'' who are ``preparing every child for a bright future.'' I am proud to join her in congratulating the teachers and administrators of Laurel, as well as the families of these students for the love and support they provide. Most of all, I congratulate the students themselves for a job well done. They are truly a credit to Pennsylvania's Third District, and to our country. It is an honor to represent them in the People's House.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I wasn't going to speak tonight because I was just trying to figure out what it is that we are trying to get here and if it is always going to be the same thing as if it is not our bill, just not the bill we want. When we talk about a rush to judgment, for 31 years, we have postponed the inevitable. We no longer can compete globally because of our corporate tax rates and the regulations. Our people--and I don't care if they are Republican voters or Democratic voters or people that don't vote at all--isn't it time to give them a little bit more money in their take-home pay? Isn't it time to let them get up in the morning with an idea that ``I can actually be better at the end of the day than when I started''? Isn't it time for us to talk about bringing millions of jobs back to the United States as opposed to sitting here and trying to battle back and forth about something that politically doesn't make any sense? For the folks who are sitting at home, do they realize how far we are getting away from what we pledged we would do for them: a dynamic and robust economy that allows for more take-home pay, a dynamic and robust economy that allows corporations to flourish and not flounder, and a tax plan that absolutely puts America back where it so deservedly belongs? With all the assets that we are blessed with, with all the talent that we are blessed with, and with all the opportunity that we are blessed with, can we really think that tonight is the night to turn this into a political battle, to make one side look good and one side look bad? Is it always going to be the war on the wealthy? Is it always going to be the war on some entity? Does it have to be some type of identity before we can actually back away and say: Tonight we are going to do something for every single hardworking American? Please, refrain from using the term ``middle class.'' There is nothing, I think, that flies more in the face of who we aren't as a society than classifying people: ``Oh, they are middle class''; ``Oh, they are upper class,'' which leads people to think: ``Oh, there must be a lower class.'' I am asking, tonight, not for either side of the aisle, but for America to look at what is going on and say: It is not time for us to get back in the game.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Greenville Junior/Senior High School in Greenville, Pennsylvania, and Laurel Junior/Senior High School in New Castle, Pennsylvania, which were recently honored by the Department of Education as 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This award, given to only 342 schools in America this year, is based on a school's overall academic performance as well as its progress in closing achievement gaps among its students. In her message of congratulations, Secretary DeVos commended the visionaries, innovators, and leaders who are preparing every child for a bright future. I am proud to join her in congratulating the teachers and administrators of Greenville and Laurel, as well as the families of these students, for the love and support they provide. Most of all, I want to congratulate the students themselves for a job well done. They are truly a credit to Pennsylvania's Third District and to our country. It is an honor to represent them in the people's House.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Brady and all the members of the Ways and Means staff who have worked tirelessly in order to bring this bill forward. I can't tell you how excited I am to be here today. My friend, Mr. Larson, I notice he wears a pin with a picture of John Kennedy, one of my favorite Presidents of all time. Let me just read from a speech that President Kennedy gave on December 14, 1962. This is 55 years ago, and he gave it in an address to the Economic Club of New York. ``Our true choice is not between tax reduction, on the one hand, and the avoidance of large Federal deficits on the other. It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget--just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits. `` . . . only full employment can balance the budget, and tax reduction can pave the way to that employment. The purpose of cutting taxes now is not to incur a budget deficit, but to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy, which can bring a budget surplus.'' Keeping that in mind--and I hear the debate going back and forth--I would just encourage all of our Members: you are going to have a choice today to take your voting card, and you are going to put it in the voting machine, and you can push a green button that says ``go,'' putting this Nation back on track, making America the greatest economic power in the world; or you can push the red button and say: you know what, just not something I can vote for today because it is just not exactly what I want. Next week, 50 million Americans will travel because they want to come home; they want to come home for the holidays; they want to come home for Thanksgiving. This bill is a Thanksgiving bill. This is a jobs bill because what we are telling corporate America is we want you to come home. We want to make this a more favorable environment for you to live, to work, to succeed, because we know that true success in business is only a sustainable business model. So when you tax people at the highest rate in the industrialized world, when you regulate people that puts them in an uncompetitive advantage on the shelf, they can't exist, and so where do they go? They have to leave home to go overseas to find that answer. Now, I just want to go over some things that really are important. A friend of mine by the name of George Abraham, who is a basketball coach--George and I were talking one day, and we were talking about the value of winning. And George said to me: You know what, Mike, the only position you want to be in is the number one position. And I said: Really? He goes: Yes. Because anything other than finishing first is you finish with the rest. If you were to take a survey, and Forbes did, and they said: If you were starting a business today, where would you start that business? And right away, I would say: Are you kidding me? It is the United States of America because of who we are, our greatness. And no, there are 22 other countries that people say I would rather go someplace else than do it right here in America. That is incredible. And when we talk about where we are as a people--where we are as a people--listen to these figures. These are not my figures, by the way. This is the Tax Foundation: Cuts for Americans at every economic level; Reduces taxes by almost $1,200 for every average-size middle-income American family; Reduces taxes by almost $2,000 for every average-size middle-income family in Pennsylvania's Third District; Grows national GDP by 3.5 percent; Increases American wages by 2.7 percent; Increases after-tax income for every taxpayer by 3.8 percent in the long run; Increases after-tax incomes for median families in Pennsylvania by over $2,300; Creates almost 900,000 new American jobs; and Creates, in my State of Pennsylvania, over 36,000 new jobs. So I say, this is a jobs bill. This is a revenue raiser for us. This is about bringing people back home. This is about more take-home pay for every hardworking American guy and gal who is out there who gets up every day and gets up to do one thing, and that is, to protect their families and work in the interest of their country. I am just asking you today to look at this card and know that you have within the power of your vote to unleash the greatest economy in the world, to unshackle it from a Tax Code that makes it impossible to compete globally, that overregulates it and forces it offshore, and then blames them for leaving. This is a ``come on back home.'' This is a ``don't leave home; stay here; we are on your side; we are going to work with you; and we are going to get there.'' I ask my friends on both sides of the aisle: Let's do what is right for America. If it is right for America, it is right for Republicans, it is right for Democrats, it is right for Independents, it is right for Libertarians, it is right for America. This is the right time to do the right thing. My friends, we cannot stay where we are. A standpat hand is a nonwinning hand. The ability to move forward, the ability to absolutely not just participate in a global economy but dominate a global economy and give every single American the faith and a future and restore the faith they need to have in this body that we are doing the best thing in their interest every single day that we come here.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of the rule and the underlying legislation. Sometimes, in order to understand what is going on in the present and then what could happen in the future, you need to go to the past. Let me read something from a true Irish-American President who said: ``Our true choice is not between tax reduction, on the one hand, and the avoidance of large Federal deficits on the other. It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget--just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits. . . . '' `` . . . only full employment can balance the budget, and tax reduction can pave the way to that employment. The purpose of cutting taxes now is not to incur a budget deficit, but to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy which can bring a budget surplus.'' I understand that there are differences of opinion on what we are trying to do, but, please, let's talk about the facts. Let's talk about a piece of legislation that is a rising tide that will lift all boats. We are going to cut taxes for every American at every income level. We are going to reduce taxes by almost $1,200 for every average-sized, middle-income American family. This puts more money in the pockets of our families. I don't care how they vote or how they registered. They are Americans. It reduces by almost $2,000 for every average-sized, middle-income family in Pennsylvania's Third District. That is a $2,000 reduction for them. It will grow our national GDP by 3.6 percent. It will increase average American wages by 3.1 percent. In the long run, it will increase after-tax incomes for American taxpayers by 4.4 percent. I also want you to think about what we talk about back home where I am from. We talk about take-home pay. ``This is my take-home pay.'' In Pennsylvania, Pennsylvanians--Republican Pennsylvanians, Democrat Pennsylvanians, Independents, Libertarians--are going to have about $2,700 more in their pockets after this legislation goes through. Let's talk about jobs. Nobody spoke better about jobs than President Reagan when he said: It is about jobs, jobs, jobs, and more jobs. What is good for the American worker is good for America. This will create 1 million new American jobs. I want you to think about this: In the United States of America, we are now currently rated as the 23rd best country to do business in. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will change that. I want you to think about that. I am a hometown guy; I am a home team guy. It is hard for me to sit back and say that we have allowed ourselves to fall that far in the world when people think: Where should I start that business? Twenty- third, are you kidding me? With all of the assets that we have been given by the Lord? And to sit here today and have an argument over something else other than that doesn't make any sense at all. What we are trying to do with our tax plan is make sure that the United States just doesn't participate in a global economy, it dominates a global economy, it leads the way in a global economy, it makes American workers stronger, it makes American families stronger, and it allows us to rebuild our military and our infrastructure. It allows everything good to happen. We cannot stay with the status quo. There is so much good in this bill for every single American. I did not say every single Republican, I said every single American. You can bat that one back and forth and try to make it a political story, but it is not. It is truly an American story. America has never dodged that responsibility. Now, let me read you one other quote, again, from an Irish-American President, who I hold in such great esteem, and one of the greatest people I have ever listened to. Let me read this to you. It says: ``I do not underestimate the obstacles which the Congress will face in enacting such legislation. No one will be satisfied. Everyone will have his own approach, his own bill, his own reductions. A high order of restraint and determination will be required if the `possible' is not to wait on the `perfect.' But a nation capable of marshaling these qualities in any dramatic threat to our security is surely capable, as a great free society, of meeting a slower and more complex threat to our economic vitality. This Nation can afford to reduce taxes, we can afford a temporary deficit, but we cannot afford to do nothing. For on the strength of our free economy rests the hope of all free nations. We shall not fail that hope, for free men and free nations must prosper and they must prevail.'' Think of who it is that we are. This is America's house. Yes, this is a GOP tax plan, but it helps every single American. It is not a blue plan or a red plan; it is a red, white, and blue plan.