Pete Sessions: “Thank you and Merry Christmas. It is also Merry Christmastime to the American people, Mr. Speaker, as Congress moves to…”

“Thank you and Merry Christmas. It is also Merry Christmastime to the American people, Mr. Speaker, as Congress moves to its final resolution for this term. Mr. Speaker, we can't forget that there is important work that is still to be done. The American people sent us here to do work and expect us to do that. Today I lay before the House the Rules Committee Print 115-87, the text of the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 88. Now, that may sound pretty pro forma, just like a normal bill, but, Mr. Speaker, what is in here is not a normal bill. In fact, it is a compilation of things which we do every year that are called tax extenders because we have been unable, necessarily, to agree on them for a longer term. So, one year to the next year to the next year, we gather together before we leave, and we normally come to an agreement. We have done this virtually every year I have been in Congress. We say on a bipartisan basis and a bicameral basis: Let's make sure that we take care of the things that have not been taken care of on a longer basis now. What might that mean, Mr. Speaker? Well, that means that we, as a body, need to be responsible and understand that during the year there have been a number of circumstances also that contributed to people needing tax help. Some of them are fires. Some of them are earthquakes.…”