Mike Honda: “Because I was attending the President's cybersecurity summit in California, I was not present when the House voted on…”

“Because I was attending the President's cybersecurity summit in California, I was not present when the House voted on H.R. 636, the America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2015. I support many of the goals of the tax provisions in this bill and recognize the value of extending them permanently, but I am concerned that H.R. 636 does not pay for them. I am a strong supporter of helping small businesses succeed. Small businesses power the American economy, and some of the provisions in this bill will help these small companies remain healthy, but this one-sided approach of passing bills that offer tax reductions without increasing revenues is unsustainable. H.R. 636 will add $79.2 billion to the deficit over 10 years and puts further pressure on the United States' domestic discretionary priorities. By bringing this and similar tax extender bills to the floor or votes, Republicans continue to demonstrate that they are not serious about deficit reduction. It is long past time for Congress to have a reasonable and informed debate on comprehensive tax reform. These piecemeal, unbalanced extender votes are not the way to approach real tax reform. The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired. Pursuant to House Resolution 101, the previous question is ordered on the bill, as amended. The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill. The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was read the third time. Motion to Recommit”