Katie Porter: “I too share the pain of those families that were impacted by the terrible storms in the Gulf Coast, having been there…”

“I too share the pain of those families that were impacted by the terrible storms in the Gulf Coast, having been there within 24 hours after the devastating storm, seeing it firsthand and helping those families. But I stand today to talk about the equitability of this particular proposal. There is a number of industries that have been impacted from all walks of life, but there are close to 50,000 families that are being impacted by a carve-out in this legislation, 50,000 hard-working moms and dads trying to take care of their kids. I believe in equitable treatment, and the gaming industry that has been carved is not asking for special treatment. They are asking to be treated like every other business. And as a Member of this body, I believe firmly that States do have rights, and I believe that local communities have rights, and they have made decisions to allow these businesses to prosper as they are a big part of their economy. As my colleague from Nevada said, close to $800 million a year into their economy and close to 50,000 jobs. Again, I stand here asking for equitable treatment for a tax-paying business that is approved by State and Federal laws, and they too should be treated equally. I am extremely disappointed, and I believe when we start a carve-out process, it is a slippery slope for this Congress to be telling local governments and State governments who should be receiving these tax credits.”