Providing for the Consideration of HR 5771, Tax Increase PRevention Act of 2014, and Providing for Consideration of HR647, Achieving a Better Life Experience Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. WELCH. I thank the gen tle lady.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to reiterate what Mr. Sessions said, and thank you for your tremendous service here in this body. So thank you for acknowledging that too.
Mr. Speaker, Congress is broken. We know it, and the American people know it. The difference between us and them is that we can actually do something about it. In fact, that is our job.
But here we go again, ducking our responsibility and not doing our job. We ducked when we failed to pass a long-term transportation bill. We ducked when we failed to meet our constitutional responsibility to debate a new, long-term military commitment in the Middle East.
And now, here we go again with this tax extender bill.
We need tax reform. 435 Members of Congress agree. Both parties agree. This year we had an opportunity. The Ways and Means Committee, under Chairman Dave Camp, presented a real plan, real simplification and lower rates, and all of it was paid for.
There were many points of disagreement, as well as agreement in that bill. In a functioning legislature, we would have debated the Camp bill, modified it, and passed some version of it to move America forward.
Instead, Speaker Boehner said the Camp bill was dead on arrival. No discussion, no debate, no progress. More ducking and dodging instead of Congress doing its job.
This tax extender package adds insult to the American people who want tax reform to the injury Congress inflicts by failing to do its job. When we pass tax extenders instead of tax reform, Congress, once again, is back to doing business as usual.
This bill, considered on December 3, is retroactive to January. How can we expect businesses and families to plan when we don't let them know what the rules for the tax year are until the year is nearly over?
It is business as usual when we preach fiscal responsibility, pledging allegiance to a balanced budget, and then pass a bill whichttp://thomas.loc.govh adds $44.7 billion to the taxpayers' credit card.
Mr. Speaker, how can Congress assert today that we will do tax reform next year, tax reform that the American people are demanding, when we are about to repeat the irresponsible practice of passing short-term, retroactive bills, something Congress has been doing year in and year out?
This bill says to the American people that Congress is up to its old tricks. Meet the new Congress--same as the old Congress. Congress says one thing: ``We need tax reform,'' but Congress does another, kicks the can down the road.
Mr. Speaker, I do support some of the provisions in this bill and I would like to vote for them, but Congress must do its job, not dodge its responsibilities.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote.
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