Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a member of the Budget Committee, I rise in strong opposition to Rule governing debate on the Senate Amendment to H.…”

“As a member of the Budget Committee, I rise in strong opposition to Rule governing debate on the Senate Amendment to H. Con. Res. 71, the Congressional Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2018, and the underlying resolution. Let us be very clear and direct: the resolution before us is not intended to reconcile tax and spending priorities to reflect the priorities of the American people or to reduce the deficit and national debt or to put our fiscal house on a sustainable path to economic growth. Rather the sole purpose of Republicans bringing this job-killing budget to the floor today is to fast-track their ``Billionaires First'' tax plan, which will cause significant harm to working and middle class families, especially to my constituents in the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas. The McConnell-Ryan tax plan, which this budget resolution is designed to grease the skids for, would raise taxes on about 1.5 million Texas households, or 12.4 percent of households next year. On average, families earning up to $86,000 annually would see a $794 increase in their tax liability, a significant burden on families struggling to afford child care and balance their checkbook. An estimated 2.8 million Texas households deduct state and local taxes with an average deduction of $7,823 in 2015.…”