Tom McClintock

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4609 would authorize the U.S. Forest Service to convey 3.61 acres of land to Dolores County, Colorado, for the purpose of building a fire station for the community of West Fork. Currently, area residents must rely on a fire protection district located 26 miles away to provide critical firefighting and emergency services to the community. Frequent and devastating wildfires have ravaged the Western States, making it more vital than ever that every community is prepared to protect itself against fire and other catastrophic events. H.R. 4609 will improve local fire and emergency services to the community of West Fork and will ensure that residents of the West Fork area will be prepared for catastrophic events without expending any new Federal dollars. Mr. Speaker, I want to note the hard work that Representative Tipton has put into this bill, and I salute his efforts and leadership. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the National Park Service currently manages 11 units that provide medical services to park visitors, employees, and nearby residents, including Yosemite in my district, Yellowstone, Zion, the Grand Canyon, and Death Valley. These include a wide range of services, including emergency medical services, ambulance transport, and clinical services. They treat colds; they set broken bones; they stabilize heart attacks and strokes; they evacuate the severely injured and treat thousands of patients annually. These national park units are typically located in remote areas, which means that they are often the only option patients have to receive timely medical care, especially in emergency situations. In the case of Yosemite, the medical clinic has operated in the valley since 1929. Like other medical clinics in our national parks, it serves the park and concessionaire employees, their families, and tens of thousands of daily park visitors. The Yosemite medical clinic is a million-dollar-a-year operation, maintaining a full-time staff and sophisticated medical treatment to treat and stabilize any number of serious injuries and sudden illnesses that confront a population of a moderately sized town. But here is the problem: Any other medical clinic would be able to use the fees it collects to finance its operations, to plan for amortizing equipment purchases and expansions, and to match its expenses to the revenues it generates, but not so our national park medical clinics. Under current law, the fees collected by our national park clinics must go directly to the national Treasury, and the parks must then rely on annual appropriations to replace those funds, with no certainty they will return and no ability to plan long-term improvements. This bill changes all of that. It would establish a separate trust fund in the Treasury, still under the control of Congress but dedicated to be returned to the clinics that generate these funds in the first place. H.R. 3607 will allow the National Park Service to retain revenues to help offset the costs of providing medical services. It establishes a national park medical services fund at the Treasury. The fund will consist of fees collected for medical services provided to persons in units of the National Park System and through other donations. My bill will help the National Park Service to provide higher quality patient care with industry standard equipment and technology; assist with training relating to providing the necessary medical services; develop management plans for medical facilities; and obtain or improve medical facilities, equipment, vehicles, and other needs and costs of providing medical services to visitors and staff of our national parks. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3607) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish fees for medical services provided in units of the National Park System, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann), the author of this measure, a tireless advocate for the State of Tennessee.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Band Eastern of Cherokee Indians is a relatively small Tribe located in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina and is headquartered in Cherokee, North Carolina. The Tribe's reservation covers over 51,000 acres in a region known as the Qualla Boundary. After the completion of the Tellico Dam in Loudon County, Tennessee, in 1979, the Tribe continued in active communication with the Tennessee Valley Authority on any areas impacted that the Tribe believed was of historical significance to them. H.R. 146 would place approximately 96 acres of Tennessee Valley Authority land in Monroe County, Tennessee, along the shores of the Little Tennessee River and Tellico Reservoir into trust for the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Gaming pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act would be prohibited. Most of the parcels to be placed in trust under this bill will be used for memorializing and interpreting the history of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the remaining parcels will be used for recreational trails. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 167 designates the existing memorial to fallen educators at the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas, as the National Memorial to Fallen Educators. We all know the life-inspiring and life-changing role that teachers play in each of our lives. I dare say that we, all of us, have had teachers whose influence looms large through our lives because of something they once did to inspire, motivate, or equip us for the lives we lead through the decades that follow. Often, their influence on us only becomes obvious as we look back on their role in our lives through the perspective of the years, by which time we have often lost them or lost touch with them. It is through official acts like this before us today that we can express our gratitude, if not individually, then collectively as a Nation. I would also like to say, on a personal note, that our daughter, Shannah, began her career as a first grade teacher, and her mother and I couldn't be more proud of her. The bill before us today is a small token of recognition to a small group of teachers, who not only dedicated their lives to teaching, but who gave their lives during the performance of their duties. On June 12, 2014, the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas, dedicated the memorial to the 119 educators who have lost their lives while teaching since 1764. This bill gives Federal recognition to this memorial, while retaining it under the jurisdiction of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. No taxpayer money will be used for it, and management will not be transferred to the National Park Service. But the bill will give official Federal recognition to it as a small token of respect and appreciation from the American people. I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, President James K. Polk lived in Columbia, Tennessee, from 1819 until 1824. Other than the White House itself, the Columbia, Tennessee, site is the only surviving residence of our 11th President. It is the repository of many original artifacts from his life. Although he served a single term, Polk left our Nation with a remarkable legacy of public accomplishments, including expansion of our Western territories and the establishment of the U.S. Naval Academy. My home State of California owes him a particular debt of gratitude. Indeed, he made four campaign promises and, in 4 years, he fulfilled all four. President Polk left office in 1849, and returned to Nashville, Tennessee, where he lived for 3 months before his death. The James K. Polk home in Columbia, Tennessee, was designated as a national historic landmark in 1961. In April of 2015, the National Park Service completed a reconnaissance survey of the home and determined that the site warrants a special resource study. H.R. 443 would authorize the special resource study of the James K. Polk home to evaluate its national significance and the suitability and feasibility for a potential designation of the area as a unit of the National Park Service. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, James Madison, the father of the American Constitution, said that its most important provision was given to the Congress, and not the President, the authority to declare war. This is central to the separation of powers. Congress can declare war, but cannot wage it; the President can wage war, but cannot declare it. This bright line has been badly blurred over the years, but that doesn't change its clarity and importance. The Constitutional Convention was clear that the President's inherent authority as Commander in Chief was solely to repulse an attack against this country until the Congress could convene. The Syrian crisis presents no such exception. If it can be proven that the recent use of gas against the civilian population was initiated by the Assad regime, well, then supplying arms and material to the Syrian opposition, economic sanctions, and other nonmilitary responses are appropriate, but any military action against Syria first requires a congressional declaration, period.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to ask ourselves how legislation is actually doing once it has passed; and 4 months after tax reform, I think it is time to reflect on that. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from California for organizing this time tonight. In my California district, the average family is paying $1,900 less Federal income tax this coming year. That means 1,900 more dollars that they can spend to meet their own needs. I want to urge everyone to visit a website called taxplancalculator.com. There, you can put your own tax numbers in and calculate how your family will fare under the new tax law this year. Everyone I have directed to taxplancalculator.com has come back happily surprised. But the real importance of tax reform is expanding our overall economy. That is the rising tide that lifts all boats. One provision of the measure allowed companies to write off the full cost of equipment purchases when they make the purchase. But what does that mean in real life? Well, Ken Steers is president of Freight Solution Providers, a local shipping company in my district that provides worldwide transportation logistics for businesses large and small. He tells me that since the tax reform took effect, his shipping orders for manufacturing equipment have gone through the roof and haven't let up. Before the tax reform, our corporate tax rate was 35 percent, the highest in the industrialized world. We reduced it to 21 percent. Aslam Malik is CEO of AMPAC Fine Chemicals in Sacramento and El Dorado Counties. They produce the active ingredient in several cancer and epilepsy drugs. He said they could outcompete their European competitors in terms of quality and technology and service, but many customers told him that even if their product was free, the American tax made AMPAC noncompetitive. Well, I checked back with Aslam this week. They have already added $2 million to their budget for expansion because, literally, a whole new world of business opportunities has opened up for them. Now, the left says this is just tax relief for the rich. Obviously, they don't understand that this is precisely what produces higher pay, better jobs, greater opportunities, and stronger financial security for every American. I attended the Oakhurst Rotary Club last week. They have a tradition of donating dollars to the club as they report good news in their own lives. One Rotarian had been out of work for nearly 2 years. He was on the verge of despair. With tears in his eyes, he announced to the group that he had just landed his dream job with Pfizer pharmaceuticals and that he would now be able to keep his home and stay in the town that he loved. Relief was written all over his face. To be sure, our economy still faces many threats--trade wars, bad monetary policy, runaway Federal spending--but, clearly, the tax reform is working. From what people are telling me, if it isn't yet morning again in America, it is at least a new dawn.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, California's Legislature has forbidden local governments from cooperating with Federal immigration authorities, and has even gone so far as to forbid private citizens from volunteering information to Federal law enforcement under threat of criminal prosecution. Government officials have alerted criminal illegal aliens of impending ICE raids and placed an illegal immigrant on a governing body. Mr. Speaker, these actions invoke the doctrine of nullification, the discredited principle that any State or local government that doesn't like a Federal law is free to violate it. It formed the central legal argument that the Southern Confederacy used in its attempt to tear our Federal Union apart. It ignores the supremacy clause of the Constitution, the enumerated powers of Congress, and the exclusive jurisdiction given the courts to adjudicate disputes involving the States. When South Carolina used this doctrine in 1832 to ignore a Federal tariff, President Andrew Jackson sent warships to Charleston harbor, threatened to hang the instigators, and declared that nullification was ``incompatible with the existence of the Union, contradicted expressly by the letter of the Constitution, unauthorized by its spirit, inconsistent with every principle on which it was founded, and destructive of the great object for which it was formed.'' Jackson and, later, Lincoln understood how toxic this doctrine is to the rule of law and to the fundamental principles of federalism. If allowed to stand, the Constitution becomes impotent, our laws become mere suggestions, and the Federal Union itself disintegrates. Like their Confederate predecessors, the California secessionists assert the 10th Amendment with no apparent understanding of it. The 10th Amendment reserves to the States powers not delegated to the Congress. Jurisdiction over immigration law is explicitly reserved to Congress and is thus denied the States. The supremacy clause is equally clear that the laws made within the constitutional authority of the Federal Government are the supreme laws of the land. There is good reason for immigration law to be in Federal hands. As Attorney General Sessions explained in Sacramento a few weeks ago, if our immigration laws are not to be enforced, then our national borders mean precisely nothing. Nations that either cannot or will not defend their borders simply aren't around very long. The open borders advocated by California officials are suicidal for any nation. Our Nation of immigrants depends on the enforcement of our immigration laws. A nation that is founded of immigration must be able to regulate the flow and set the conditions of immigration. That is what promotes and protects the process of assimilation, the glue that holds together a nation drawn from every continent. Assimilation assures that uniquely American traditions and values--a common language, a common culture, and a common devotion to American constitutional principles--are preserved. Our immigration laws welcome those from around the world, but they also unite us as a people. Illegal immigration undermines the process of assimilation and makes a mockery of the millions of legal immigrants who have obeyed our laws and done everything our country has asked. California officials claim that they are not defying Federal law, but only refusing to use State resources to enforce it. Well, Federal law is crystal clear: ``A Federal, State, or local government entity or official may not prohibit or in any way restrict any government entity or official from sending to or receiving from the Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual.'' Yet that is precisely what California's nullification acts do. They also claim they are trying to preserve the trust of the illegal immigrant community to report crimes. Well, does this mean that anyone who reports a crime or talks to a police officer should be immune from arrest for the crimes that they may have committed? And what about protecting the rest of our community from criminal illegal aliens in our midst? The Constitution commands the executive to ``take care that the laws be faithfully executed.'' That means all laws, including our immigration laws. For all its sanctimony, the sanctuary movement's principal legal argument springs from the same poisoned fountainhead that almost destroyed our Nation in the Civil War. Jackson and Lincoln understood that it must be confronted and defeated. President Trump and Attorney General Sessions have made it clear that this administration does, too.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, on March 27th, the United States will celebrate ``Education and Sharing Day U.S.A.'' to recognize the importance of excellence in education. Established in 1978 by a joint Congressional resolution, Education Day U.S.A. focuses on the very foundation of meaningful education: instructing our youth in the ways of morality and ethics, and teaching them an appreciation for divine inviolable values. These educational principles are vital to the success of our nation as they prepare our students for the responsibilities and opportunities of the future. Education and Sharing Day U.S.A. is celebrated on the birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who dedicated his life to the betterment of mankind. The Rebbe was a tireless advocate for youth around the world, emphasizing the importance of education and good character, and instilling hope for a brighter future into countless people in America and across the globe. The Rebbe taught that education should not be limited to the acquisition of knowledge and preparation for a career; but should incorporate the building of character, with emphasis on moral and ethical values that have been the bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws. Education and Sharing Day U.S.A. is a recognition of the importance of well-rounded education, and the contributions of the Rebbe. I am proud to observe Education and Sharing Day U.S.A. 2018.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources & Environment, known by its acronym TuCARE, was founded in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who believed forest regulations were dooming rural communities to economic ruin. It has grown in to an effective grassroots organization dedicated to educating the public and legislators about the wise use of our natural resources. The group emphasizes ``Multiple Use is Wise Use'', meaning the public lands and resources contained therein are intended for a variety of public uses, including timber production, recreation, watershed sources, and biodiversity in habitat. Officers and members of TuCARE make presentations before legislative bodies and present to public and private organizations on behalf of Tuolumne County natural resource issues. As part of their mission to educate, TuCARE publishes news articles and position papers on topics such as vegetation management including the use of herbicides; ``No Net Loss'' of private lands, wildlife protection overreach, and the development of water storage and mineral extraction on both public and private lands. TuCARE has engaged on many important land use issues, including opposing the expansion of Yosemite National Park and working tirelessly to keep the Stanislaus National Forest a multiple use forest. The group also worked to promote the Clavey River Project that would have increased county water supplies and generated electricity through hydro projects and supported the continuation of Forest Reserve Funds that guaranteed local communities a share of the receipts from timber harvests from local public lands. Over the years, TuCARE has continued to press for reduced restrictions on private property owners, including the elimination of severe ESA, CEPA and NEPA regulations that discourage a vibrant local economy and negatively affect the ability to manage resources. During the past 30 years, TuCARE has held countless natural resource tours and summits for the public, including legislators, decision makers, educators and the public, both young and old. Since the tours began, TuCARE has had the privilege of educating over 30,000 individuals about the wise use and management of our natural resources. Nearly 300 dedicated men and women have volunteered untold hours to respond to the resource education needs of the public as part of TuCARE's extensive list of past (and present) Board of Directors. These individuals share a passion for the need to educate so others can make better, informed decisions about our resources. TuCARE volunteers are working to ensure the perpetuity of our resources for future generations and to help local economies prosper despite restrictive environmental rules and regulations. TuCARE's members have consistently supported the organization's efforts both financially and physically--attending 30 years of annual resource summits, annual dinners and responding to ``boots on the ground'' needs for rallies and public displays of support. It has been a true group effort, with men and women from all walks of life joining together to ensure the promise of life, liberty and prosperity.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, Frederic Bastiat, the great 19th century economist, posed a simple question that we need to think about carefully as we consider tariffs and trade wars. What is better: abundance or scarcity? The answer might seem self-evident, but protectionists down through history just don't seem to grasp it. Suppose widgets cost $1 in Canada, but $2 in America. That means you can buy twice as many Canadian widgets by importing them. That is called abundance. But some say that is not fair. We need to slap a $1 tariff on Canadian widgets to level the playing field. That means we can only afford to buy half as many. There is no more perfect way to turn abundance into scarcity than by levying a tariff on imports. Yet that is what was precisely proposed for steel and aluminum. By slapping a tariff on foreign steel imports, the amount of steel Americans can afford will diminish as the price rises, so, too, the price of everything we make from steel, from cans to cars. We are told this is necessary to save American steel jobs. Well, Bastiat would tell us that what we cannot see is just as important as what we can. We see the American steel jobs the tariff has saved by blocking foreign competitors. What we don't see as clearly are the jobs that disappear in every American industry that uses steel as their prices rise and demand for their products falls. Remember, every producer in a society is also a consumer. No consumer benefits from higher prices, and no producer benefits from scarcer materials. Every country that has cried protectionism has suffered terribly, including ours. Thomas Jefferson thought high tariffs could fund the government and promote domestic manufacturing. That caused a devastating recession that nearly destroyed our fledgling economy. Herbert Hoover responded to the recession of 1929 with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. It didn't end well. Trade is simply the exchange of goods, and both parties have to benefit from the trade or it just doesn't happen. If I pay you $1 for a cup of coffee, I am telling you that your coffee is worth more to me than my dollar, and you are telling me that my dollar is worth more to you than your cup of coffee. When we make that exchange, we both take away something of greater value than we had. But what happens if we slap a $1 tariff on that cup of coffee. Only two possible things: I am either going to buy less coffee, or I am going to buy less of other things to afford the tariff. Neither is good for the economy. True, some governments subsidize their exports, and that puts our producers at a great disadvantage. In effect, these governments are picking up part of the tab for the stuff that we buy. As Milton Friedman observed, that is simply foreign aid to American factories and consumers, paid for by the unfortunate taxpayers in the exporting countries. The appropriate response for us is to say, ``thank you.'' Yes, that hurts the 140,000 American jobs that produce steel. But the other 6.5 million Americans who manufacture products using steel can make more of their products, causing their producers to hire more workers and to pay them more. Jobs will disappear in the steel mills, but they will reappear as better jobs in industries that can now obtain more steel at lower prices. What would happen if we had a war? Bastiat answered that question 150 years ago. He said trade, by its very nature ``is a reciprocal dependence. We cannot depend on the foreigner unless the foreigner depends on us.'' If war clouds should gather between Canada--our biggest foreign supplier of steel--and the United States, we might face the prospect of losing their steel, but Canada would lose all of the American resources and products that their steel exports buy. Trade reduces the risk of war because it increases the value of peace. Bastiat marveled at how much we spend to build ports and harbors, railroads and highways, all for the sole purpose of surmounting the obstacles to trade that nature has created. What sense does it make to erect artificial barriers to replace the natural ones that we have overcome? By that same token, President Trump has set the stage for rapid economic expansion by reducing the tax and regulatory burdens that were crushing our economy, and the economy is responding. What sense does it make to ruin that progress by replacing the taxes and regulations we have shed, with new ones?

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, the City of Rocklin, California celebrates its 125th Anniversary on February 24, 2018. The city was incorporated on February 24, 1893, becoming the 95th city in California. Rocklin has a vibrant history. Through grit, determination and hard work, the City built a foundation on granite mining and railroads. Rocklin was first recognized as a destination on the transcontinental railroad in 1864, about the same time granite mining began. By 1910, 22 quarries were operating and shipping nearly 2,000 carloads of granite. Rocklin granite was used to build the state capitol and many buildings in San Francisco. In 1908, Southern Pacific announced that the railyards would be moved to Roseville, causing many residents to abandon their homes and follow the company. The granite industry also declined precipitously. The citizens persisted by starting small businesses, granite operations, agriculture, and a friendly, communal environment until the 1950s, when signs of growth began again. The construction of Highway 80 beginning in 1958 began to expand the City's potential for development. The Rocklin Sierra College campus was completed in 1961, and suburban expansion led to growth in the housing market during the late 1950s and 1960s. Rocklin realized the benefits of a low cost of living and land that drew high technology firms and other industries to the region. This resulted in an expansion of commercial and residential development, including Stanford Ranch, a 3,000 acre planned community. By 2016, it was the fourth-fastest growing city in California. In 2016, the city completed an $11.3 million interchange at Highway 65 and Whitney Ranch Parkway, providing increased access to nearly 200 acres for development. Abundant parks, trails, and open space make Rocklin that much more enjoyable. The City protects its natural resources and recently completed the purchase of approximately 184 acres of land that was previously the site of the Rocklin Golf Club. This green space at the heart of the city will provide an oasis for outdoor activities and opportunities for expansion of recreation, parks and trails systems. I am excited to celebrate Rocklin's 125th Anniversary, and look forward to the continued successes of the city.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following op-ed, written by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the elected President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, in support of the Iranian quest for freedom, printed in the Wall Street Journal on January 9, 2018. These Iranian Protests Are Different From 2009 Then, the cause was a rift within the regime. Now, the people are demanding an end to the regime. The protests in Iran send a cogent message: The clerical regime stands on shaky ground, and the Iranian people are unwavering in their quest to bring it down. Slogans against velayat-e faqih, or absolute clerical rule, called for a real republic and explicitly targeted the regime's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. This dispels the myth, still harbored by some governments, that Iranians distinguish between moderates and hard-liners in Tehran. It also undercuts flawed arguments depicting a stable regime. Millions of Iranians live in poverty. Yet Tehran has spent upward of $100 billion on the massacre in Syria, according to reports obtained by the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The chants of ``Death to Hezbollah'' and ``Leave Syria, think about us instead'' clearly demonstrate the people's opposition to the regime's belligerent regional schemes. The country's official budget this year allocates more than $26.8 billion to military and security affairs and the export of terrorism. This is in addition to the $27.5 billion in military spending from institutions controlled by Mr. Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The budget for health care is a mere $16.3 billion. Weak and vulnerable, the regime spends such astronomical sums on regional meddling as part of its strategy for survival. Skeptics might point out that Iran has faced protests before. What makes the current uprising different from the 2009 protests? The 2009 protests were sparked by rifts at the top of the regime. The current protests--which began in Iran's second- largest city of Mashhad and quickly spread across the country--were motivated by rising prices, economic ruin, widespread corruption and resentment toward the regime. This systemic economic mismanagement has its roots in the political system, and it grows worse every day. That is why the demand for regime change surfaced almost immediately. It seems to be the only conceivable outcome. Another major difference: The 2009 uprising was initially led by the upper middle class, with university students at its core and Tehran as its center. The recent demonstrations span a much broader swath of the population--the middle class, the underprivileged, workers, students, women and young people. Nearly all of society has been represented on the picket line. Nor is the current uprising tied to any of the regime's internal factions or groupings. There are no illusions about reform or gradual change from within. One of the popular slogans in Tehran is ``Hard-liners, reformers, the game is now over.'' This is yet another sign of the certainty of overthrow. As an Iranian expression goes: Maybe sooner or later, but definitely certain. The final differentiating factor is the pace of events. In less than 24 hours, the protesters' slogans shifted from economic woes to rejection of the entire regime. The establishment has been caught off guard and is scrambling to find a unified solution. The IRGC declared victory over the protests on Sunday, but this reflects its hopes more than the reality on the ground. The regime has issued strong warnings against joining the leading opposition group, Mujahedin-e Khalq. One after another, low-ranking and senior officials, joined by the Friday prayer leaders across the country who toe the regime's line, blame the MEK for the protests. The torrent of statements by regime officials reflect their panic at the expansion of the nationwide uprising and the rising popularity of the MEK and the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The religious dictatorship has resorted to extensive suppression to confront protesters. The IRCG has killed at least 50 people and wounded hundreds. By the end of the ninth day of protests, at least 3,000 had been arrested, according to our sources in the country. Numerous reports indicate that security forces literally knock on people's doors and warn them against attending demonstrations. The net of suppression has been cast as wide as possible. In light of this brutal repression, the international community must not remain silent. The United Nations Security Council must adopt punitive measures against the regime's crimes. This has long been the demand of the Iranian people and opposition. We must not forget that the perpetrators of the horrific 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners are still in power today, holding senior executive and judicial positions while engaging in the murder of protesters in the streets. Perhaps the final difference between the 2009 protests and the recent uprising will be that the latter succeeds in overthrowing the reviled theocracy in Iran. The people of Iran fervently hope so.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, last month we concluded an intense debate over tax reform, and I want, again, to thank Chairman Brady for heeding the concerns of those of us from overtaxed States like California. By allowing greater flexibility in deducting State and local taxes and by lowering all tax rates, the final measure assures that virtually every family will be paying lower taxes even though losing much of their State and local tax deductions. In fact, in my district, the average household will see a tax cut of $1,900 as a result. Yet I still receive many calls from constituents who fear their taxes will go up and their standard of living will go down. They believe this because this is what they have been told by the Democrats and by the media. Now that the bill is in effect, I think people are about to see their paychecks grow, their job prospects brighten, and their family finances improve. Indeed, the day that President Trump signed the bill, companies across America began announcing bonuses, pay raises, and major new investment plans in the American economy, and those announcements just keep coming. A variety of tax calculators are already available on the internet so that every family can see for themselves how they personally benefit from the tax cuts. I would recommend a Web site called taxplancalculator.com. There, people can input their own tax figures and see how much their family will save. In February, withholding tables will reflect the newer, lower rates, and the take-home pay for the vast majority of Americans will jump even before accounting for the surge in wages that always accompanies an economic expansion. By spring, most economists expect a significant burst of economic growth. As tax barriers come down, capital stranded offshore is already coming home. This morning, Apple announced it is bringing back most of its quarter trillion dollars of capital now stuck offshore. Immediate expensing reforms will accelerate equipment purchases, and an internationally competitive corporate tax rate will mean new investments in making products, once again, in America. If The New York Times poll from yesterday is any indication, the American people are already beginning to see the truth. That poll tracked an 18-point swing from disapproval to approval of the reform in just 1 month. The scare-mongering by congressional Democrats went further than claims that the tax reform would produce only middle class misery and economic malaise. They also claimed that millions of Americans would lose their health insurance because of it. How so? Because this bill removes the stiff tax penalties that are levied against 6\1/2\ million American families who choose not to purchase overpriced ObamaCare policies. It is a minimum of $2,100 of penalty for a family of four. These families will now have that money available to meet their own needs, including purchasing inexpensive policies available on the private market. This begs two questions: If ObamaCare is so wonderful, why do we have to force families to buy it? And, if 6\1/2\ million families already prefer paying the stiff penalty to buying the insurance, what does that say about the signature achievement of the Obama Democrats? The Democrats have seized on projections that the reform will add $1.5 trillion of new debt over the next 10 years based on their assumption it will produce no economic growth. Yet, when Ronald Reagan cut the top marginal tax rate by half, income tax revenues doubled. Several prominent economists are predicting an additional $2 trillion of new tax revenues to all levels of government solely due to economic expansion from this law. The final line of attack is that the personal income tax cuts will expire in 8 years, leaving many Americans worse off. Well, that is perhaps the most dangerous argument for the Democrats to make because every American understands the answer to that question depends upon who controls Congress. Democrats have made it clear that, if they are returned to office, the tax cuts are over, and Republicans have made it just as clear that our unfinished business is make take those cuts permanent. Let the people decide. Ronald Reagan asked a simple question both in 1980 when he ran against the economic malaise of the Carter policies and again in 1984 after he had implemented the same progrowth policies we now see under President Trump: Are you better off today than you were 4 years ago? No politician or pundit can spin the answer to that question. Every individual American knows that answer precisely in their own lives. And I am looking forward to asking that question again as the tax reform takes effect.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I was saying that the actual medicine, the ingredient is produced here, but the actual medicine is produced in Ireland, solely because of our uncompetitive corporate tax. Because of this tax reform, the company plans to grow dramatically here at home, employing hundreds of new workers. That is what the Democrats mean by tax breaks for the wealthy. The proof of these policies will come over the next year, and every American will be able to decide for themselves if they are better off because of it. I am now highly confident their answer is going to be a resounding ``yes.''

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I opposed the original House bill because it severely limited or abolished broad-based deductions, resulting in higher taxes for many families in high-tax, high-cost States like California. Thanks to Chairman Brady's leadership, this bill has largely addressed these objections and, in combination with much lower rates, it assures that nearly every California taxpayer will pay lower taxes. More important still is the higher wages and better jobs it means for all Americans. Last Friday, I toured a local company that makes the active ingredient for certain drugs, yet the actual medicine is not produced here. It is produced in Ireland. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I opposed the House version of the tax reform bill because the loss of broad-based deductions like State and local taxes would have caused significant tax increases on many of my middle class constituents in the high-tax, high-cost State of California. It actually increased the marginal tax rate on high- income earners and abolished lifeline deductions such as casualty loss, medical expenses, and student interest. I urge that we should leave no taxpayer behind. I thank Chairman Brady, the Republican leadership, and the conference committee for heeding these concerns. Their final product exceeds my expectations and, on behalf of California taxpayers, I can now offer my enthusiastic support. The new version leaves the casualty loss, medical expense, and student interest deductions intact. No family needs to fear being ruined by taxes after a major disaster or illness, and graduates can continue to plan their lives knowing that interest on their student loans will not be taxed. The new bill eases the proposed limit on mortgage interest deductions and allows up to $10,000 of State and local taxes to be deducted, all important changes for California. But most importantly, the lower tax rates in this bill now more than compensate in almost every case for the remaining limits on State and local tax and mortgage interest deductions. Even taxpayers who lose tens of thousand of dollars of deductions will still end up paying lower taxes than they do today. For example, a couple earning $60,000 with a $300,000 home and three adult dependents would have paid $200 more in taxes under the old bill. But under this new version, they will save $340. A couple earning $150,000 with a $750,000 home--that is a high-end tract home in California--and one child would have paid $1,200 more in taxes under the old House bill. But under the new bill, that same family will save $720. The business tax provisions are especially important because they will restore American workers to an internationally competitive position. According to economists ranging from Martin Feldstein to Arthur Laffer, these provisions alone will produce $5 trillion of new economic activity over the next decade. That is $40,000 per household, including $2 trillion of new tax revenues to all levels of government. Last Friday, I toured AMPAC, a local company making the active ingredient in several cancer and epilepsy drugs. Their product is then shipped to Ireland to make the actual medicine solely because the corporate tax in the United States is 35 percent, and in Ireland it is just 12.5 percent. Their CEO, Aslam Malik, told me that, if they gave their product away for free, the final medicine could still not be competitively manufactured in the United States solely because of our taxes. He expects their local company will grow dramatically because of this tax reform, employing hundreds more families both directly and indirectly as they expand everything from payroll to infrastructure. You see, that is what the Marxists just don't understand. Businesses don't pay business taxes. Businesses collect them from just three sources: from consumers through higher prices, from employees through lower wages, and from investors through lower earnings, usually pension plans and IRAs. We have the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world, and commerce and capital simply move around it, leaving our workers behind. That is one of the reasons we averaged just 1.5 percent economic growth under Obama--worse than any President since Herbert Hoover--and lost an entire decade of prosperity. The Marxists tell us that this is just trickle-down economics and it has never worked. Well, in fact, it has always worked. It worked when Warren Harding did it in the 1920s, when John F. Kennedy did it in the 1960s, when Ronald Reagan did it in the 1980s, and, lest we forget, when Bill Clinton approved the biggest capital gains tax cut in American history. Concerns over the deficit are legitimate and must be addressed by spending reforms in the coming year. We must always remember that taxes and debt are driven by just one thing: spending. The proof of these policies will manifest itself over the coming year, and every American will be able to decide for themselves if this has made them better off. I think that is why the left has pulled out all the stops to defeat it. Their arguments are exactly the same economically illiterate attacks filled with class envy that they made against Reagan. When the American people awakened one day to find it was morning again in America, the left was discredited for a generation. Let history repeat itself, beginning today, with this vote.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my gratitude to my chief of staff, Igor Birman, who will be leaving the House of Representatives on December 5 to begin a new career in financial management. He and his wife, Kim, are expecting their first child in April and will be moving to New York. Igor Birman's story sums up the best of America and is testimony to the exceptionalism of American founding principles, how they beckon to oppressed people around the world, and how much those who come here legally bring to our Nation. Igor was born in Moscow to parents who desperately yearned for the fundamental rights they were denied in the Soviet Union. At the time, they were called refuseniks, Russian Jews persecuted for their religious beliefs and denied exit visas because of their technical knowledge. Finally, after many years, as the Soviet Union began to collapse, glasnost opened an opportunity for the Birmans finally to realize their dream. Igor remembers hurriedly learning English on borrowed phonograph records. A week before their departure, the family returned to their tiny apartment to find the place upended by a last-minute KGB raid. Igor's mother comforted her children by saying: ``In a few weeks, we will be in America, where this can never happen.'' Igor was 14 when they arrived in California to begin a new life. He entered UC Davis, where he quickly rose to public prominence after a column he had written expressing his libertarian views was censored by the politically correct apparatchiks on the campus newspaper. The irony wasn't lost on anybody, and it became a prominent story on northern California talk radio. That is where I first became aware of Igor, and that year, I was fortunate to have him work in my State senate office as an intern. He left to attend law school, and when he returned, he did an amazing job as my finance director in a hard-fought campaign for Congress in 2008. Hiring him as my chief of staff was the easiest decision I have ever made in my years in public office. He came to Washington at the age of 28--I believe the youngest chief of staff then serving. He has ably run my congressional office for nearly a decade, and during those years, he has assembled the most competent team I have ever had the honor to serve with. I have found his judgment impeccable, his insight keen, and his honesty and integrity spotless. Charles de Gaulle famously observed that the cemeteries are filled with indispensable men, but General de Gaulle had never met Igor Birman. I can say definitively some people truly are indispensable, and Igor is one of them. I am obviously not the only person to hold this opinion. The founder of Cablevision saw these same qualities in him and, beginning next week, he will be placing his operations and foundations in Igor's capable hands. Igor once ran a very credible race for Congress himself, and I hope that he will not give up on his ambition to serve our Nation. I believe a time may be coming when Americans may lose the memory of freedom and they will need to turn to leaders like Igor for a passionate reminder of just how valuable a commodity is our freedom. ``There is a time to every purpose under Heaven,'' and for now the time has come for Igor and Kim to enjoy their new family, to enjoy the fruits of their new labors, and to embark upon a promising future together. I wish them the very best in their many happy years ahead.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Celia McAdam and her upcoming retirement after decades of service in the 4th Congressional District of California. Celia McAdam has devoted herself and her career to helping her community through transportation planning. She first began her career in transportation in the early 1990s when she served as Senior Planner for the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA). In 1998, she was chosen to serve as the Executive Director of the PCTPA, a position she still holds today. Additionally, Celia has served as the Executive Director of the South Placer Regional Transportation Authority since its creation in 2001. A leader in the field of transportation funding, Celia has been hailed as ``[one] of the most important transportation officials in Northern California'' by the Sacramento Bee for her ability to navigate the bureaucratic and technical obstacles associated with infrastructure planning. Her creativity in planning enabled her to design and fund vital infrastructure projects such as the I-80 Bottleneck Widening, Lincoln Bypass, I-80/Sierra College Boulevard Interchange, I-80/Douglas Boulevard Interchange and numerous other transit and rail projects. Celia McAdam's successful career has not gone unnoticed by the transportation community and her talents have earned her numerous accolades in recognition of her contributions to California's infrastructure. In 2012, Celia was named Woman of the Year by the Women's Transportation Seminar and she received the planning profession's highest honor by being inducted as a Fellow of the College of American Institute of Certified Planners in 2016. Placer County Transportation Planning Agency has received numerous awards under her leadership, including Organization of the Year by the California Transportation Foundation and Agency of the Year by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor and congratulate Celia McAdam for her commitment to transportation planning and public service.