On the recordDecember 17, 2015
I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am all for certainty. I am all for predictability. I am all for a lot of the policy initiatives that are contained in this legislation before us. But what I am not in favor of is the fact that this $700 billion bill is not paid for. Not a nickle of it is offset. When I go home to Wisconsin, I constantly hear from folks back home for Congress to pay our bills and to get our fiscal house in order. This legislation doesn't do it. It is $700 billion over the first 10 years. It explodes to $2 trillion in the second 10 years. There is nothing more dangerous for the long-term success of Social Security and Medicaid or our children's future than these end-of-the- year, large tax cut packages that are not paid for and that are not offset. It is a missed opportunity. We should be doing this within the context of comprehensive reform. I submit that by going forward and making permanent many of these provisions in the legislation today, it takes the wind out of the sails of tax reform in the future. There has been an implicit agreement when we do comprehensive reform that we are going to do it in a way that builds in certainty, encourages investments, makes us more competitive globally, but we don't blow a hole in the deficit and our children's future at the same time. Chairman Camp recognized that with the discussion draft. He made hard choices to pay for the lowering of rates and the broadening of the base.…
