Donald M. Payne: “I thank our majority leader for those kind words. I also thank Joint Economic Committee Vice Chairman Beyer, Budget…”

“I thank our majority leader for those kind words. I also thank Joint Economic Committee Vice Chairman Beyer, Budget Committee Chairman Yarmuth, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Neal for organizing this Special Order hour. It is important to discuss the state of our economy because it is a case of true contrast. Trump's economic decisions have created two very distinct Americas. There is the one America for the affluent where incomes are rising and taxes are dropping. There is the other America, the one reserved for minorities and low-income Americans, the one for middle Americans, the one that is losing manufacturing jobs to automation and cheap, foreign labor, the one that forces people to turn to minimum wage jobs as careers. President Obama worked to unite these two Americas. Trump has worked very hard to divide them, once again. As President, Trump is known for two major business moves. First, he passed his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but his law did not give the vast majority of Americans tax cuts. It actually cut their tax deductions. He did not improve their ability to get new jobs. He made it more difficult. He has taken away benefits that low- and middle-income American families took for granted. He took away their ability to deduct moving expenses when they had to find a better job and support their families. He took away their ability to deduct alimony, which could lead to more deadbeat dads.…”