Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, as the world knows by now, tonight President Trump will deliver his delayed State of the Union Message.

This is a tradition that, of course, dates back to the Constitution, but the Constitution is ambiguous or unclear or actually doesn't say exactly how that annual message should be delivered. We know that George Washington, for example, delivered his annual message in 1790 at the Federal Hall of New York City, which was the temporary seat of the Federal Government at the time. Although John Adams delivered an in- person address, the tradition didn't last very long. Our third President, Thomas Jefferson, chose to deliver the message in writing, a practice that lasted for nearly a century--that is, until President Woodrow Wilson chose to speak to the Congress in 1913.

According to the Washington Post, people were outraged at this breach of tradition, which maybe speaks to how hard change is in Washington, DC.

The paper wrote ``All official Washington was agape last night over the decision of the President to go back to the long-abandoned custom.''

Coming face-to-face with Members of Congress was President Wilson's attempt to bring about a closer intimacy between the Congress and the Chief Executive, and I am glad this time the tradition has stuck. I know there are those who disagree, and perhaps that has to do with the endless wave of standing ovations that Congress gives that punctuates the modern speech, which I could do with less of.

The State of the Union Message also serves another important purpose, and that is the President's ability to speak not only to the Members of Congress but over the heads of Congress and directly to the American people. This address is carried live on every network and streamed across social media platforms.

We are all waiting to hear what the President has to say, particularly during these polarized and unusual times. This is a time to reflect on the great work that has been done in the last couple of years to help move our country in a positive direction. Unfortunately, given the propensity of the media to focus on conflict and not on accomplishment that is credited to bipartisan efforts, most of the American people probably aren't aware or need to be reminded of what has actually happened the last 2 years, and I hope the President will reflect on that.

President Trump took office in January 2017, and Congress has passed legislation since that time to improve nearly every aspect of society. No one stands out greater than the economy.

I remember that during the Barack Obama administration, particularly after the great recession of 2008, we were told that 2 percent growth was the new normal, even though for the last previous 25 years that was definitely subnormal. Annual growth rates were more often in the 3.5 to 4 percent range.

Now we know that the American economy has gotten its groove back and people are optimistic and confident. They reacted in large part to the increase in take-home pay they see in their paychecks and the fact that many businesses, large and small, have chosen to reinvest in their people by raising wages, improving benefits, or providing a bonus.

I hope that we hear from President Trump more about this tonight because this has been nothing less than a miracle. You can undoubtedly trace it back to the landmark tax reform bill we passed over a year ago.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act sought to solve a problem that had befuddled Congress for many years, whether they be Republicans or Democrats. The question was, How do we fix this outdated, archaic, and overly complicated Tax Code?

When President Trump signed this bill into law, it marked the first major overhaul of our Tax Code in 31 years. Our reforms lowered rates all across the board, doubled the child tax credit, and incentivized U.S. businesses with earnings abroad to bring that money back home and work here in America for the American people. We quickly saw a steady stream of headlines about businesses, big and small, announcing, as I indicated earlier, bonuses, pay raises, new jobs, and other investments in their employees.

In the months that followed the law's enactment, I have met with a number of employers throughout Texas to see how the new tax law has changed their way of doing business.

In Corpus Christi, for example, I visited with a seafood distributorship company called Groomers Seafood. They gave their employees a bonus and increased their wages after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law.

In Houston, at Southland Hardware, a quaint neighborhood hardware store whose tagline is ``the store that has `almost' everything,'' they were able to provide bonuses and raises for their staff, as well as hire a new employee and do improvements to their store.

In Austin, I visited with the owner of Wally's Burger Express. He told me he is using the savings from tax reform to expand his business and create new jobs.

It is clear to me that businesses across the country have felt the same way as these owners of small businesses did in Texas, and it didn't take long for Americans to begin to feel the benefit.

I have heard from countless of my constituents about the impact this legislation has had on their daily lives, and it is all for the better. One of them was a gentleman from Arlington, TX, named David. David wrote to me to say that the company where he is employed increased the hours people were able to work. Christmas bonuses increased, too, and the company hired more people, bought new machines, and made long- overdue repairs to their building. Now with these changes in place, David says the guys down on the shop floor are taking home a little bit more money each week in their paychecks. He said: ``All of this adds up and makes a huge difference in the lives of the guys on the shop floor.''

The impact also extends to retirees across the country. One of my constituents from Midland, TX, named Glenda reached out to me about how the tax reform bill changed her life. She wrote to me to say that she has been retired since 2013, which, she reminded me, means that she has a fixed income with no possibility of pay raises or year-end bonuses, but that doesn't mean she is not grateful. She said that the reduction in income taxes to her feels like a raise.

Because of this legislation, middle-class Americans are living more comfortably and the economy is booming. If you don't believe me, just look at the numbers. Since this legislation was passed, 3 million new jobs have been added in our country, wages are on the rise, and unemployment has hit a 50-year low. I read the other day that because of tight labor conditions, people with disabilities are reentering the workforce, and we have seen the lowest level of Hispanic and African-American unemployment ever.

This revitalization of the economy has led to big benefits on Main Street and in the homes of average Americans. America has regained its status as an economic powerhouse once again, and we are going to keep these successes going.

So looking back on the last 2 years, there are countless accomplishments I am proud of, but certainly reforming the Tax Code for the first time in 31 years stands out near the top of the list.

I should also mention that we confirmed 85 Federal judges, including two incredibly qualified Supreme Court Justices. This all comes despite the unprecedented obstruction we have seen from Senate Democrats to slow down or block the process. We still have a number of judicial vacancies to fill in this Congress, many of them in Texas and many of whom were just renominated. I hope we can move quickly to vote on these nominations--these good men and women who offered to serve the public as Federal judges.

Under this administration we have taken some positive bipartisan efforts, such as combatting the opioid epidemic, which plagues nearly every community in the America. We supported pay raises for our military and authorized additional resources for their equipment and training. We promoted public safety with the passage of bills to stop or deter school violence. We have given farmers and ranchers the certainty they need when we passed the critical farm bill. We supported better career training and education for American workers. And that is just the beginning.

This administration, in working with the Congress, has delivered real changes for the American people. I am ready to keep those changes and improvements moving forward, so I am eager to hear what the President has to say tonight on everything we have accomplished together and for him to outline his priorities for the coming year.

With the Democrats' gaining control of the House, though, I expect the President to ask about the importance of working on a bipartisan basis. Speaker Pelosi has a fundamental choice: Is she going to work with the Republicans in the Senate and the President to do good things for the American people or is she simply going to oppose anything and everything President Trump proposes--given the fact that the 35-day shutdown represents not an effort to find middle ground and negotiate a sensible outcome but rather one of political point-scoring, of trying to determine who is the winner and loser in any particular battle no matter what the collateral damage may be?

I hope our colleagues in the House and, I hope, all of our colleagues in the Senate will look at trying to continue this record of accomplishment for the American people and will commit to working in good faith to keep that progress moving.

Under this administration, our government has taken major steps to strengthen our economy and to make changes that benefit the American people. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish. I am not focused on the frustrations that plague us every day; I am focused on the positives we have been able to do, and I hope we can keep it going.

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