During remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) spoke about Democratic opposition to to making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 permanent.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Mr. President, I just listened to my colleague from Kansas and just how commendable the example
00:10that he has set to go and visit absolutely every one of the single hospitals in the state
00:13of Kansas.
00:14That's an example for all of us to get out and talk to our constituents, listen to what
00:19they have to say, and the senior senator for Kansas has, I think, set an example for all
00:25of us.
00:26He visits every county in his state repeatedly, yearly, and it's a model for all.
00:31So I'm so happy to hear him address these issues in this body this morning.
00:36Mr. President, I also heard the speaker speak, who was the senator from New York, Senator
00:41Schumer, and what I heard him do is something different.
00:44What he did is he mischaracterized a budget term called the current policy baseline.
00:51First and foremost, the Budget Committee has consulted with the Senate parliamentarian
00:55on the substitute amendment that we are bringing to the Senate today.
01:00The parliamentarian has deemed it appropriate for consideration under the Congressional
01:05Budget Act.
01:07Budget Act was also clear.
01:09The Budget Committee chairman decides the baseline.
01:12I served in this body when it was the Democrats arguing in favor of the current policy baseline.
01:20That was in 2013, when President Barack Obama was in the White House, and the Obama administration
01:27and the Senate Democrat majority at the time argued that a current policy baseline was
01:32quote, the appropriate reference point when it extended existing tax policy.
01:40Senate Republicans are simply following the law and the standard that the Obama administration
01:47wanted followed in 2013.
01:50Current policy baseline is how we make the tax cuts permanent.
01:53It is how we stop a $4 trillion tax increase, a tax increase supported unanimously by today's
02:02Senate Democrats.
02:04Because for the Senate Democrats, their favorite day is coming soon, tax day, April 15th.
02:12And millions of Americans today are filling out their tax forms.
02:15People are going to spend time this weekend trying to get it right.
02:20And as they do, I ask myself and wonder if these people that are working so hard at home,
02:23hardworking people, earning money and having to fill out their tax forms, if they realize
02:27that Democrats right here in the United States Senate want to raise those taxes by a cumulative
02:33number of $4 trillion.
02:35Look, a $4 trillion tax increase on American families would be devastating.
02:42Senate Republicans are fighting against it.
02:46Republicans want to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent.
02:51We want to reverse the Democrat failures of the past four years.
02:55We're focusing on getting America back on track.
03:01Let's look at the tax cuts that occurred a number of years ago.
03:04Tax reform restored fairness and simplicity to the tax code.
03:08Americans are better off because of it.
03:10It's one of the things that resulted in the best economic times of my life.
03:15Within two years of passing the tax cuts, the United States added millions and millions
03:20of new jobs.
03:22Unemployment fell dramatically to its lowest point in 50 years.
03:26Many businesses grew, invested.
03:29Most importantly, most importantly, hardworking Americans had more money in their pockets
03:33to spend.
03:36In Wyoming, I heard of one local business owner who used the tax cuts to give his employees
03:40a raise.
03:41He also expanded his business.
03:43More jobs, more economic opportunities for people in his part of the state of Wyoming.
03:49This is what happens when Washington taxes less and taxpayers get to keep more of their
03:54hard-earned money.
03:55It's good for families.
03:56It's good for businesses.
03:57It is good for our nation.
04:00In Wyoming and across the country, millions and millions of workers were benefited from
04:04the higher pay, the bigger bonuses, and the best opportunities that come from lower taxes.
04:11By making these tax cuts permanent, businesses and families will get the stability and the
04:17certainty that they need in order to thrive.
04:21Like 90% of Americans saw their taxes go down because of tax reform.
04:26It would be disastrous for the tax-and-spend Senate Democrats, those who brought us the
04:32highest inflation in our lifetime, if they were to choke off the chance for Americans
04:37to keep more of their hard-earned money.
04:41American families would see their taxes go up if the Democrats get their way.
04:4420 million businesses would see their taxes go up if Democrats get their way.
04:496 million jobs and $540 billion in wages could be erased if Democrats get their way.
04:56In all, families, workers, and job creators are facing a $4 trillion tax increase.
05:02When Republicans passed this Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she was Speaker
05:08of the House at the time, of California, famously dismissed the savings and the bonuses and
05:13the benefits.
05:14She said that these wins for workers, she described them as crumbs.
05:20Democrats continue to dismiss the burden of higher taxes.
05:24Listen to what Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said.
05:27She said cutting taxes was nothing more than tossing a few crumbs at the American people.
05:34Listen to what Senator Cory Gardner of New Jersey said.
05:39He blamed workers who received bonuses from tax reform for what he said, driving up the debt.
05:46Don't recall him saying that in his last 25 hours on the floor of the Senate.
05:52Democrats are out of touch with America's families.
05:55That's what's happening here.
05:56It's been proven by the results of the November election, and their condescending liberal
06:01attitude is a threat to the American dream.
06:04They just think they know better than everybody else.
06:07It's wrong for Democrats to force hardworking taxpayers to pay for wasteful Washington spending.
06:14But fortunately for the hardworking taxpayer of this country, President Trump is in the
06:18White House, Senate Republicans are in the majority, and common sense is coming to Washington.
06:24Senate Republicans are going to continue to put an end to this wasteful Washington spending
06:28because we stand with American workers, with the job creators, and with the small businesses
06:34of this country.
06:36Hardworking taxpayers are soon going to see where each and every senator stands.
06:42Thank you, Mr. President.
06:43I yield the floor.