Blake Moore

Mr. MOORE of Utah

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the greatest State in the country. I appreciate his willingness to be here to support this week and his message on this really important Police Week. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Scott Franklin), my good colleague and veteran, an all-around great legislator from the great State of Florida.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crank), who is a new member this term. He took over for a good friend of mine. We have a very common district. I represent Hill Air Force Base, and he represents the Colorado Springs area, which we all know is where the Air Force Academy is located. With a lot of shared connection to the Colorado Springs area and his district in Colorado and Utah first, both being strong Air Force communities, I am thrilled to be working with such a great new member of the Conference.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for his comments and anecdotes on his support for the police. It is very important. I thank my colleagues for being here tonight to show their support for law enforcement and recognize the sacrifices that these officers and their families make on a daily basis. National Police Week is a great opportunity to stop to thank our local police officers, but we really should be committing to do this throughout the year. I started a little tradition. I actually did it on the walk over from the parking lot to the University of Utah Huntsman Center basketball game. There are always a few police officers there directing traffic for the few hours of that. I had four boys under the age of 10 at the time. I was trying to help get them out of their shell, talk to other adults, and be a little bit more engaging with folks. I have kind of forced this on them, and now they have taken it on their own. When we see a police officer, we walk up and look them in the eye, he or she, and say thank you. I shared this with the local police force back home, and it is just one of those things that, as they do the big things for our community, we should be able to do the small things. Teaching my boys to say thank you to police officers, the most basic, simple, fundamental elements of being a dad, in my opinion, shouldn't be a question of whether you do it. Watching them walk over to a complete stranger, but they are in uniform, and they look up at them in the eyes--they regularly don't look at folks in the eyes. It is always a little awkward for them to learn that interaction--and they just say, ``Thank you, Officer.'' It is a neat experience and something that I am glad I started. The smallest thing is very much appreciated by those in our community who do the greatest and biggest things for us. We always feel they are one phone call away. They are ubiquitous in our community. The police officers whom I serve, their chiefs and their leadership are some of the best in our community, and I could go county by county and talk about them. Their sacrifice is very much appreciated, and they do the good work that is needed in Utah. I appreciate the gentleman from Colorado for highlighting the Capitol Police, as well as the D.C. Metropolitan Police, as we spend a lot of our time back here, as well. They do an exceptional and professional job. They also beat us in the Congressional Football Game for Charity that we do each year. I am nursing an injury from the soccer charity game. I have turned 45 this year, and I think I have finally realized that I am no longer 18. This has been a very important lesson to learn. I am no longer invincible, and I need to act my age when it comes to some of these intramural types of sports. The Capitol Police always play the Members of Congress in an annual charity match that goes to supporting some of their priorities, and since I have been in Congress, they have always beaten us. They are quite the athletes. Over the last few weeks, we have been talking a lot about the big, beautiful bill, as it has been named. This morning, the Ways and Means Committee adjourned from our markup after 18 straight hours. We went through the night. Other committees did that as well. The Energy and Commerce Committee recently finished up, just a few hours ago. I want to express how proud I am of the work that went into this, the countless amendments that the Democrats also put up to create an opportunity to dialogue, to create an opportunity to debate. That is important. When we are in the minority, Republicans put up amendments to constant legislation that the Democrats are doing, and it does create opportunities for dialogue. I think once we go through that, there is obviously a lot of posturing and messaging going on, but there is real communication. After a housing affordability amendment was put up--it ultimately failed, of course, as most of these things do; they are usually put up as posturing--I walked over to the gentleman from the Los Angeles area who put up the amendment and showed him some of the things that I am working on, some of the market-based solutions to this. We have to find some real, sustainable fixes to housing affordability and making sure first-time home buyers have an opportunity to get in there. This created an opportunity for me to share with him what some of my stakeholders back home are doing. I set up meetings for these guys from Utah with HUD a little while ago. It is a really neat opportunity to see these types of things happening off-camera. There is real collaboration going on. This is a moment. This bill, as we advance this, will be a reconciliation bill. Traditionally, in my recent memory, these have been majority-rule votes. The opposition party doesn't vote for these. These go on party lines. The vast majority of what is in this particular one, we actually have a lot of bipartisan support on it. This tax bill that we are doing, the Energy and Commerce Committee is doing a lot of other things regarding their committee of jurisdiction. Candidly, this has taken several years in the making. We have known that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is going to expire at the end of this year. We have an opportunity to reestablish and to make permanent where we can some of the really progrowth, positive provisions that come out of that piece of legislation. Other areas of the tax code that have been adjusted or dialed, we are going to try some new things, only for a few years, though, to see how they work out. That is the nature of tax policy. The things that were put for a time limit from 2017 have, in my opinion, stood the test of time and been a strong proponent for progrowth tax policy. We are going to make those permanent in this bill. There are other things that are going to be newer to the tax code, and we will try them out to see how it plays out in 4 years to give us time to be able to analyze and see how they are being effective and overall impact. This is going to provide real relief to American families, workers, and businesses. The bill expands the child tax credit, provides critical tax breaks for small businesses and the working class, and makes America more competitive on the global stage. It also makes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, like I mentioned, preventing a massive tax hike that would otherwise happen at the end of this year. This moment is why I worked hard on the Ways and Means Committee. I look forward to what we can accomplish as we move this through the process, through the Committee on the Budget, through the Committee on Rules, on to the House floor, over to the Senate, and, hopefully, signed by the President in relatively short order. I am grateful that several provisions stemmed from legislation that my team and I have been pushing over the last several months, including a permanent increase to the child tax credit and additional support for families in the range of $500. Families are going to get a $2,500 tax credit with respect to their dependents. It also makes the adoption tax credit partially refundable up to $5,000 to help children find permanent, loving families by removing income as a barrier to adoption. That is key. The concept of refundability is a sticking point. Republicans constrained that a little bit more. Democrats want to overextend it. There is debate on where that sweet spot is. We are making a significant portion of this adoption tax credit refundable and giving us an option for more American families to be able to choose adoption as an option. One of my siblings adopted all four of his children from infancy. It is tough. It is expensive. There is a lot that goes into it just on the financial side, let alone the emotional side and everything associated with it. It is important to do, and we are doing some of that in this legislation. We are also increasing the HSA contribution limit and cap for small business expensing, reinstating a temporary deduction for charitable contributions, and 529 accounts will now extend to include career training and credentialing. We are providing income on tax-exempt status to servicemembers serving in dangerous regions, and we are renewing the successful Opportunity Zone program, which delivers an additional $100 billion of investment over the next decade for rural and distressed communities or both. We are investing in education and creating new tax credits for individuals who contribute to scholarship organizations. I am also very passionate about teaching the next generation about the power and value of compounding interest and capitalism and how it can help them get ahead. The money accounts for growth and advancement--again, a catchy tune here--being the MAGA accounts, will demonstrate to American youth the power of compounding interest and the possibilities that can come with investing. Beginning on January 1, 2026, parents of children under 8 years old can open a MAGA investment account for their children. The government would seed accounts for newborns with a $1,000 Federal deposit. These investment accounts would be eligible to receive contributions from family members, employers, nonprofits, and government entities. They will help set up the next generation for financial well-being--not even just well-being, but literacy on what this can actually do. It is not just these individual accounts. If taught right and if we were able to educate properly on this and people can see it in their own lives, this will give them a chance to learn the value of this and that it affects every decision that they make. Instead of spending a few extra dollars here, I could put it into savings, an interest-yielding account. What that does in the course of 10 years is far more beneficial than what that short-term gain would have been with that individual purchase. Those types of lessons can be learned when people have some stake in the game. There are endless more provisions from this tax bill that I could share from our markup last night that will deliver on the Trump administration's and the congressional Republicans' priorities and make a lasting impact on the success of our children, workers, and businesses. I look forward to watching these policies work through the reconciliation process and eventually becoming law. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Utah

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana for his comments, and I appreciate his work. We share a lot of work together on the Budget Committee, and it has been a very active time. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman). Her State, quite possibly, may be the second-best State out there in the West, second to Utah, of course. I think we have that mantle pretty well locked up, but there are some other good ones in the running.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be joined by my colleagues this evening to talk about our progress on the reconciliation bill, as well as the importance of supporting our Main Street businesses during National Small Business Week. I understand some of my colleagues have commitments, and I want to be respectful of their time. So I will have them start us off before I provide some of my own comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak), a much improved Representative from the previous individual of the great State of North Dakota.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Dakota for her remarks. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Stutzman).

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming for her comments, and I appreciate her being a part of the Special Order this evening. Our last colleague who is going to address us this evening is a new Member from the great State of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Schmidt), also an improvement to the previous Member. He is a good friend.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, that is smart.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Schmidt), who had excellent points. We all talk about small business. We all use it as a line and a bullet point, and we all say that we support them, and then where does the actual policy come in? Those are incredibly important points to highlight that they are the lifeblood. We have data that suggests that Utah, which has an incredible economy, strong work ethic, low unemployment, good volunteerism across the board, is ranked high in the economic indicators for the country, and we are heavily tilted toward small business out of Utah. There aren't an enormous amount of global headquarters for big, multinational firms. It is a ton of small businesses. I thank the gentleman for highlighting that. Mr. Speaker, I thank my other colleagues for being here to discuss the goings-on for this week. We have heard so much about the reconciliation process and the dangers of not getting this done. There is a real threat. We are working under unique circumstances because there is a time limit set for the end of this year that, if we don't accomplish this piece of legislation, there is no other way to look at it except for the fact that taxes will increase on virtually every American family and business. We desperately want to create good, strong, predictable tax policy so that our companies and our families can continue to thrive and continue to understand what their landscape is for them to compete and go and create more job growth and actually go and create more revenue for our Nation to become a wealthier nation. This is a priority for Republicans. It is a priority for House GOP leadership, the President, his administration, and we are neck deep in the process of getting this over the finish line. This bill will deliver on our conservative agenda and make positive changes that we know that Americans want. From a more secure border to stronger domestic energy resources, to more efficient Federal programs, to a tax code that supports families and businesses, this is a once-in- a-generation moment, and I am grateful to be part of this effort on both the Committee on Ways and Means and the Budget Committee. There is obviously a lot going into this and, on the Committee on Ways and Means, we are trying to find the sweet spot of many considerations at play. We need to ensure the provisions in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act aren't just extended but, where possible, made permanent. If we don't act, we risk seeing critical policies roll back, such as the child tax credit, which goes back to just $1,000. It was $1,000 prior to 2017. Republicans doubled it. That reverts back to $1,000, and $1,000 in 2026, after the inflation that we have seen over the last 4 years in the previous administration, is a significantly different number than it would be from pre-2017. While we can't solve the debt crisis with this bill alone, it will drive strong economic growth, bolster GDP--we know this because we have seen this--and it puts us in a better position to address our national deficits. This is probably the most substantive action that I have been a part of, and it has been an honor to have been right in the thick of it. Over the last few weeks, several committees have passed bills aimed at saving hundreds of billions of dollars, and we are well on our way to making historic savings a reality. As we work through this, we are doing so with a clear focus on the needs of our economy, particularly on small businesses. This week is Small Business Week, and I am recognizing the hard work of our small business owners as something that we can all support from both sides of the aisle. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, as I mentioned what it means to the State of Utah, and they are critical to every local community across this country. In this role, I am grateful to get to know as many small business owners as possible and hear their concerns, understand their areas of growth, what their opportunities are, and, most importantly, what their challenges are. Going back to the reconciliation package--and we are working on, particularly, the tax portion--we are looking to deliver positive results to our small businesses and craft policies that will allow them to thrive. The 199A, small business, LLC, S corp, deduction from their qualified business expense, a 20 percent deduction, expires at the end of this year. That is a massive tax hike on small businesses, and this is oftentimes a category that gets overlooked because my colleagues talk about corporations and about high-net-worth individuals, but the small businesses are structured in a way that their ordinary income is taxed at what some of the highest income individuals of our society are taxed at. These small businesses are taxed at a significantly high rate, oftentimes higher than other corporations. We need to make sure that 199A is extended and, if not just extended, made permanent. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made our small businesses more competitive, and we want to continue to pursue policies that provide regulatory relief, economic stability, and the ability to grow and create jobs. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues again for joining me tonight to talk about these important issues, and we will continue to dig into this in the weeks to come. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Utah

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, again, yesterday marked 100 days since President Trump took office for the second time. It has been a whirlwind 100 days, to say the least, as his administration has taken swift action to reverse many of the Biden-era policies that I believe brought major challenges to American businesses and families. From bringing the southwest border crossings to their lowest in history to ushering in critical private investments to our communities and boosting job growth, the Trump administration has wasted no time in reversing many of the wrongs of the last 4 years. We have much to celebrate and highlight this evening. I appreciate my colleagues for taking time to reflect on these past 100 days and how House Republicans are joining the administration to implement a progrowth, profamily, conservative agenda that will deliver for Americans across the country. I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose).

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee. I always appreciate his consistent voice and willingness to support Special Order hour. Again, there are many wins to focus on, and I can't emphasize this enough. President Trump was overwhelmingly elected in November to fix the border. I don't understand why Democrats couldn't see the horrific approach that they had to it. It doesn't make any sense to me why they let that get as bad as it was, when it was fixable. We have seen the lowest numbers in history. It is common sense. I appreciate the focus on that one fundamental issue. Again, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of California (Mr. LaMalfa).

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for his voice and participation. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bean), our final, last but not least, speaker. With his energy level that he always brings to this place, you will understand why he is clearly not the least.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Florida never disappoints, and I thank him for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, I will briefly close with some of the comments I have made before. President Trump in November, along with congressional majorities--the House majority stayed in Republican control. The Senate majority flipped to Republican. It was a clear show that we wanted to move past some of the policies that have been implemented, or not implemented, from the previous administration. I am proud as we look out at his first 100 days. Again, to reiterate what has taken place with our southern border, enforcing very commonsense laws such as making sure that our parole authority is properly done, ending catch and release, and re- implementing the remain in Mexico policy. I think this gets missed from the conversation quite a bit. It is actually some of the most humane things we can do. I still remember the 30-plus immigrants who were basically killed in the back of that truck in the San Antonio area. The only reason that that type of thing happens is because the cartels don't care for human life. The cartels that were running the border over the last 4 years do not care about the plight of an immigrant searching for a better life and a unique work opportunity. They sell them a bill of goods. They literally sell them that bill of goods by making them pay thousands of dollars in the hope that once they get them across the border, then everything will be great for them. Then, they get stuck in a legal system that doesn't benefit them. The most humane way to do it is to re-implement things like the remain in Mexico policy. The point I had always tried to continue to make was that a simple policy change would actually reduce border crossings significantly. When we do that, we take away the power that the cartels have. When the cartels are in power, human beings suffer. There is no other way to look at it. Customs and Border Protection data from earlier this month show that Southwest border crossings are the lowest they have been in recorded history. Think about that, Mr. Speaker. By the numbers, there were over 7,000 Southwest border crossings in March. That is still a high number, but over the last 4 years, the monthly average was over 150,000. It is astonishing. This is something that has been delivered. I would appreciate any opportunity to codify this into law. I do not like ruling by executive order all the time. This is stuff we need to codify. I hope that we can learn from the good experience with the Laken Riley Act and how our functioning Republic is supposed to work to get a piece of legislation done. This one had good, strong bipartisan support. The President signed it. I know there is more that we could be doing on that so we don't have this constant back and forth in the future of our country. We have to get some predictability with this type of policy. Predictability is incredibly important, as well. As I look ahead past the 101st days, I look ahead to one of the most important things to accomplish going forward, and that is a reconciliation piece of legislation. This discussion that has been very prominent here in the beltway is the talk of reconciliation. To put it in plain terms, this is just making sure that, at the end of this year, American families don't pay a significant increase in taxes. In 2017, there was major tax reform done, and I think if you were to take a look at the specific elements of that bill, Mr. Speaker, you would find excitement and broad support for almost all of it. The Republicans in 2017 doubled the standard deduction. Who does the standard deduction support, and who does it help? It helps lower- and middle-income Americans, plain and simple. It increased the number of people who took the standard deduction and gave them the best tax benefit. It is the wealthy folks who itemize, for the most part. Right there, we are already targeting middle- and lower-income Americans. The second piece is doubling the child tax credit. In 2017, Republicans doubled the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000. That is something that has been incredibly bipartisan. Democrats, in their own version of reconciliation, have enhanced that, as well. I lead the Family First Act, which is another enhancement of the child tax credit, and I am looking forward to, hopefully, getting that passed through. That is another key win. There are numerous business provisions that help. Real wage growth, economic activity, and strong GDP growth are helping. Mr. Speaker, any time you have the White House, the House, and the Senate under one party, then people get a little bit chippy. They get a little bit partisan as we try to get significant pieces of legislation through. It is not going to be any different this time. That was the case in 2017. I wasn't here then, but as I was sort of watching from the sidelines on these types of things, I get it. Then, in 2021, the Democrats had the White House, the House, and the Senate. They did the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, and they tried to do Build Back Better. Those were incredibly partisan approaches, which I firmly disagreed with, but that was the piece that took place at the time. We have an opportunity going forward for these next few months to be able to deliver on something that is very important to every American family, and that is making sure that they have consistency in the tax code so there is not going to be a massive tax increase on American families next year. It is something I am proud to be working on, and I hope that we can celebrate it as a key piece of success as we look past this first 100 days of the administration. We are 4 months into our 119th Congress, and this is going to be a key piece. Democrats will say over and over again that this is just a tax break for the billionaires. Mr. Speaker, when you cap SALT like the Republicans did, that only hurts wealthier folks. I hate to bring them that news. I believe it was Bernie Sanders who was criticized by The Washington Post--again, The Washington Post--by giving three or four Pinocchios when they say that these tax breaks that Republicans do just go to benefit the wealthy. That is The Washington Post saying to call it as it is. These are Pinocchios. These are complete lies that the tax policies that Republicans put forth actually strengthen and target the middle- and lower-income Americans. We will say that over and over again. Unfortunately, my Democratic colleagues will say this is just going to benefit the billionaires. I hope that, deep down, they would come to some realization that that is just a lie. Their own media is saying that it is just a lie. It is just one of those things that exist back here, and we are probably going to be dealing with that a lot for the next few months. The reality is this is good, strong tax policy that is going to benefit American families and workers. In addition to some of the successes we have had over the last few months, this is something we have to be able to lock in and accomplish. I look forward to being a key part of that as we move forward. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Utah

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, the last few weeks have been nonstop. The Trump administration and congressional Republicans have been advancing legislation and policies that put Americans first. Just last week President Trump issued an executive order that puts decisions about our students' education back where it belongs, in the hands of parents and the States. As the father of four young boys, I know firsthand that those closest to educating my children--the teachers, administrators, and special aides--are the ones who know what they need to get ahead academically and succeed. Data shows that our current educational system is failing our students. Our outcomes are not where they need to be. Reading and math scores are not where they need to be, et cetera. We have got plenty to focus on with this particular issue. I am right in the thick of it. My wife and I are very much in the thick of it. We could not be more grateful for the support that we have back home with our teachers. It has been probably one of the most positive things in our lives as we see those boys progress. House Republicans are also continuing to assess our education system this week by advancing the DETERRENT Act, to protect our higher education institutions from foreign influence by strengthening gift and contract disclosure requirements and potentially banning contracts from foreign entities of concern. I applaud Michael Baumgartner, a new freshman out of Washington, for his work on this important bill. We are also seeking to reverse harmful Biden-era energy regulations on essential home appliances, including refrigerators and freezers. Americans deserve the ability to purchase the appliances that best suit their families' functional and financial needs. I am grateful to Congresswoman Stephanie Bice and Congressman Craig Goldman for taking the lead on this issue. I will speak more on these later. This week, we are seeing great progress in getting our reconciliation package to the next step. The efforts seek to serve Americans better by securing our border, supporting our economy, bolstering domestic energy production, maintaining a pro-family and pro-growth Tax Code, and much, much more. I thank each Member involved in these critical discussions for their work, and I thank my good friend from California (Mr. LaMalfa) for being here today to kick us off with his message. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from California for his message and for his willingness to always be here. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the message of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser). I think it is actually one of the most important things to be focusing on right now. Mr. Speaker, I take a lot of questions from folks back home. Utah is a State that hits above their weight in academic outcomes. We have large families. This is a big, big deal for us. The confusion of why would you dismantle the Department of Education, I will make sure I do my part, and I have spoken about this to a lot of constituents back home. One of the key aspects and the things that are important under title I is making sure that we have underfunded communities well represented. My son is on an IEP. He is a 9-year-old in the third grade. He is on a specialized education plan that meets his needs. My wife painstakingly got us to the point of making sure that that was the right scenario for him. We value the work that gets done here, and we want to see more resources pushed back to our State, who has largely led this effort. We have had meetings for our boy to be able to get into the situation where he is in a thriving third-grade class at a public school and where he has a little extra attention on things that he does well. He is reading well above a third-grade level, but he really struggles in other areas. He is on the autism spectrum. The attention that our teachers, local administrators, and PTA have put into our boy, who is the pride of our life, we know that that will be cared for moving on. If we can move as much of those resources back into the decisionmakers' hands, we are going to have success here. Mr. Speaker, I think we are going to look back at this point down the road and say that this was a key part of why we were able to better fund schools that are in tough communities, to better fund special education needs, and to make sure that we are still fulfilling all of the FAFSA and student loan requirements that we currently do. Mr. Speaker, let's give this an option. If we are having such bad outcomes holistically, why not take a look and try to do something differently. We can't just keep doing the same thing. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's commentary on that issue, and I look forward to being a part of this change. I am actually very confident that, when Utah is given more opportunities in the space of education as we move more of those resources back to the State level, we will continue to thrive. I want to be a big part of it. I am sure my wife will be right there birddogging us to make sure that our son will have what he needs to also thrive in this environment. I look forward to that chance. Mr. Speaker, I have been very encouraged this week to see the House and the Senate Republicans coming together to deliberate on our reconciliation package. We are trying to get this timeline going as quickly as possible. There is an enormous amount of good work that is going on in every committee with respect to this reconciliation package. This is going to be a key factor to making sure that we maintain a progrowth and profamily tax policy amongst the other aspects of securing our border, bolstering our economy, supporting domestic energy production, promoting peace through strength, and making our government more efficient and effective. This is the profamily and progrowth tax code that we are developing and have been developing since 2017, and we want to make sure that we don't see these provisions expire. The number of inversions that took place before 2017 and the repatriation of companies and their operations has been pretty well underrecognized. When you make progrowth tax policy domestically, you encourage companies to repatriate those operations and their intellectual property, and you are able to actually raise revenues. That is the big thing. If we want to raise the rate on taxes so we can claim we are raising revenues, if the outcome is to raise revenue, then every Democrat should be celebrating what took place in 2017. What we are trying to make sure doesn't happen now is that those more antiquated international tax policies that encourage companies to put their intellectual property in Ireland and in other European countries or in other tax havens across the world, it encourages them to keep it there or put it there instead of investing back into America. I wish my Democratic colleagues were more honest on this, because they know and they see the numbers, too. When you create a competitive environment, you are able to actually raise that revenue for the U.S. Companies want to invest here. If they have a competitive tax environment, they will always choose to be back in America. Mr. Speaker, I worked very hard to get spots on the Committee on Ways and Means and Committee on the Budget. It has been an enormous amount of work getting us to this point, and the lion's share of that work is still up ahead. I wanted to be on those committees for this very moment because I knew that 2025 would be a major tax policy year. Known as the Super Bowl of tax colloquially, I believe that we have a real opportunity to extend tax policies that benefit hardworking Americans and that support families. Let's remember that the child tax credit was $1,000 pre-2017, and Republicans doubled it without a single Democrat vote in 2017. We are going to go at this alone, it looks like, again, where we are trying to avoid the child tax credit from going back down to $1,000 at the end of this year if we don't get this tax bill done. We want to make sure that we reestablish as much as we possibly can and moving it forward. I am one of the key leaders on this particular issue with the Family First Act and to making sure that we are supporting families and encouraging that type of positive environment. Strong families will lead to so much good in our communities. I don't want to demean the concept of a strong family, but it is one of the core aspects of having a strong economy. There is a lot going on now and in the coming months. I am looking forward to seeing the Senate come together and getting us the parameters that they would like to see with respect to this tax package. We are working very close in hand with our Senate Committee on Finance and Senate leadership to be able to take a look to see what this reconciliation bill is ultimately going to pan out. We recognize that it will be a partisan moment back here because we won't have any support from Democrats on these incredibly important progrowth and profamily tax policies. That is just the nature of this place, but we are working very hard to build this out and continue on the successes that we have had from 2017. Mr. Speaker, the irony of this place is that all of those tax provisions could have been repealed in 2021 and 2022, when Democrats had the White House, House, and Senate. None of them were because Democrats recognized deep down that doubling the child tax credit, doubling the standard deduction, encouraging increased wage growth without the inflation that came from the American Rescue Plan, which we saw the Democrats enact in 2021, all of that positive economic growth is actually a very good solution. I hate that this place ends up being so partisan in these moments of what we call the trifecta, when one party has the White House, House, and Senate. It is just the way that it is, but there is so much of this tax policy that both sides of the aisle share a common vision on. We did an awesome bipartisan tax bill last year. I wish it would have been able to survive in the Senate, but it didn't. There is so much good that will come out of what we are going to extend here. I shared a lot of this with my newsletter followers yesterday. I feel like, as congressional Republicans, we have the most momentum now that we have ever seen regarding our looming debt crisis. A statistic I shared is that, for several decades, our Federal revenues have remained at approximately 17 percent of GDP. Over the last couple of decades, our expenditures have skyrocketed to 26 percent of GDP. In the early 2000s, our expenditures were approximately 17 percent to 18 percent. The way I shared it was that I know it is sort of the old adage that we don't have a revenue problem, but we have a spending problem. That is just what the data bears out. In years of tax reform, we have still been able to maintain 17 percent of GDP. Remember that, in 2017, even though we reduced taxes in multiple areas, we have what is called broadened the base, which actually helped bring in more tax revenue. We have continually maintained that 17 percent of GDP, but our spending has gone from about 17 percent to 26 percent over the last 25 years. You have to look at things with respect to GDP. That is why I always talk about debt to GDP and how we are at World War II levels while we have largely been in peacetime. We have to take advantage of this. This is not going to be easy. This is not going to be overnight. Yet, with progrowth tax policy, which keeps our economy strong and keeps our GDP moving in the right direction, we have an opportunity to limit some of this spending. It is not going to be easy. I never intended for it to be. Anytime you add to the budget, it is much easier. Trying to remove from the budget is much, much more difficult, as anybody could probably attest. Yet, it is something that has to be done, and I hope that we can continue to do it in the most thoughtful way possible. We have a really strong plan. Our committees have been working on this for months and months to identify where the best opportunities for savings over the next 10-year budget cycle are. In doing so, we want to be able to change that trajectory of, like I said, 26 percent of GDP. It is far too high, and we have to recognize that data that has been a success for our Nation. I am thankful to be on these two committees as we work toward a really difficult needle to thread in getting this policy done, but we are moving it along. I thank all of my Senate colleagues who are equally working on this. This is ultimately why I am back here, is to make sure that this work is done in the most responsible way possible. As we navigate the reconciliation process over the next few months, I look forward to being able to celebrate some significant wins for our American families and our economy. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Utah

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this Special Order.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, last Monday marked a somber milestone. It was 500 days since the horrific attacks on October 7, 2022, when Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists launched the most harrowing assault on Israel and the Jewish people since the Holocaust. We witnessed an unprecedented act of violence that shocked the world 500 days ago. We will never forget the 1,200 innocent lives Hamas murdered and the 240 civilians they took hostage that day, as well as those affected in the months following the October 7 attacks. My House Republican colleagues and I are grateful to President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu for securing the recent ceasefire agreement which has led to Hamas releasing American and Israeli hostages. As we remember this day, we are more motivated than ever to stand with Israel and the Jewish people. I am grateful to my colleagues for joining me this evening to discuss this solemn anniversary. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson). I always appreciate his perspective on these foreign policy issues. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa.) Supporting Our International Partners

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California, and I always appreciate his participation. I thank the rest of my colleagues for being here tonight and taking time to speak on the horrific assault against our ally and the Jewish community. On October 7, 2022, the world was shocked at the atrocities carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel and the Jewish community. Nearly 3,000 Hamas fighters crossed into Israel by land, air, and sea, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 Israeli and foreign hostages. October 7 will forever be a turning point in history. As we reflect on the events of that day and the 500 days that have followed, it is imperative that we also recognize the broader implications of this attack. It was not just an assault on Israel. It was an attack on the American vision for a safe and secure Middle East, which was led, perpetuated, and financed by the Iranian regime. The Hamas perpetrators not only set out to destroy the very existence of the State of Israel, but they sought something larger. They wanted to prevent a seismic shift in the region from taking place. I am, of course, referring to the early success of the Abraham Accords, negotiated by the first Trump administration, and the long-term goal of a Saudi-Israel peace and normalization agreement. Iran and its terrorist proxy groups, like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, could not bear to see Israel accepted by its neighbors or folded into the community of nations where it rightly belongs. Instead, they chose to commit unspeakable acts of violence, rape, terror, and slaughter. As we mark 500 days since the October 7 attack, we must also look at the ongoing suffering of those affected by this violence. There are countless families and individuals living with the scars of that day. It is our duty to honor their memory and ensure that attacks like this never happen again. We must remain vigilant against the threats posed by extremist groups and continue to champion freedom and democracy around the world. We must also work to strengthen the Abraham Accords, push hard for Saudi- Israeli normalization, and ensure that Iran's plan to destabilize the Middle East fails. We have a plan. We have a vision for success in the region and now is not the time to take our foot off the gas pedal. House Republicans will remain steadfast in maintaining a strong relationship with Israel to continue to ensure that freedom and democracy endure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Utah

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. MOORE of Utah. Madam Speaker, the 119th Congress has been off to a great start with House Republicans delivering results for the American people. This week, we are continuing our efforts to reverse the Biden administration's harmful policies and further protect our country from a dangerous, illegal border invasion. Today, we passed Congressman Biggs' Midnight Rules Relief Act to amend the Congressional Review Act to allow Congress to disapprove of multiple rules through one joint resolution if rules were issued during the last year of a President's term in office. House Republicans will also vote on Congressman Ciscomani's Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, which holds accountable illegal immigrants who break our laws and engage in dangerous high-speed chases in our border communities. I am grateful to my colleagues for joining me this evening to discuss these necessary pieces of legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa). stopping regulators from taking away america's energy independence