Simply say you are absolutely right, this tax legislation will be devastating, costly and hard for the country to dig out of the deepening debt that is going to be created. With that, i yield back to the gentleman. Mr. Veasey thank you. I appreciate the gentlelady. Im going to temporarily yield back to you so our colleagues on the other side of the aisle can lay out the rule. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition . Mr. Collins i send to the desk a pri ledge red port for filing under the rule and i thank the gentleman. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title. The clerk report to accompany House Resolution 616 to provide for consideration of h. R. 2874 to achieve reforms to improve the Financial Stability of the National FloodInsurance Program to enhance the development of more accurate dwofments flood risk through new technology and better maps to increase the role of private markets in the management of Flood Insurance risks and to provide for alternative methods to ensure against flood peril and for providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany h. R. 2810, authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the department of defense for military construction and for Defense Activities of the department of energy to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fits call year and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore referred to the house calendar anded ored printed. And ordered printed. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Mr. Veasey thank you, mr. Speaker. With that, were going to continue on with the Congressional Black Caucus special order hour. Id like to thank my friend and colleague, representative evans from pennsylvania, the quaker state, for being here again. Thank you very much, representative evans, for always offering your insighten these matters and i know that in addition, id like like the gentlelady from texas, its open to a broad array of topics and appreciate any insight you want to give us on tax reform or any of the other issues that the American Public wants to hear from from their congressional representatives on this day. So again, thank you for your participation. Mr. Evans id like this to thank my colleague from the great state of texas. He has consistently done a very great job in leading these efforts for the Congressional Black Caucus as well as our chairman, chairman richmond. Soy thank the gentleman from texas, hes been fantastic. Mr. Speaker, this is an interesting time that we are obviously in the country and it is a rather challenging time. But mr. Speaker, id like to let you know last year at this time, on november 14, 2016, i was sworn in. So ive been here for one year, mr. Chairman. And in that one year when i stood in this well of this house, i talked about the importance of putting Country First and moving America Forward. I said that at that particular time that i thought it was extremely important we work together. And all my colleagues at that time from pennsylvania stood with me, democrats and republicans alike, and i talked in this well of the house on november 14, 2016, about the need to concentrate on the people first. That i thought it was extremely essential that we understood that people, we should talk about the issues that are most important to people and not and that is what is important to us. That we now are in a governing mode, not a political mode. There will be time to have discussions about political next year. But this particular time we need to put people first. So mr. Speaker, our country has not seen bipartisan tax reform since 1986. And that was when president reagan was president of the United States and speaker tip oneill was speaker of this house. I think its safe to say the u. S. Tax code is in need of major facelift. But let me make it very clear when i say, the way the Republican Party and the Trump Administration are going about tax reform is all wrong. One of my main priorities in congress is to help keep moving the city of philadelphia forward. The republican tax bill impedes our ability to move our city forward. At a time when older cities an suburbs are pressed for funding, this destructive tax plan is yet another way the Republican Party is taking resources from our cities. What do i mean by this . On friday past, mr. Speaker, i joined with the mayor of the city of philadelphia, mayor jim kelley, the City Council President daryl clark, ouncilmember bob brady and the help usaid, call attention to how our neighborhoods would be hard hit by this republican tax plan. We stood in front of what used to be a School Building in philadelphia. But has now been turned into a Supportive Housing facility that will soon house 37 veterans and individuals age 55 and older. Its these kinds of investments an transformations that will ve our neighborhoods forward that are at stake under the g. O. P. Tax plan. We have a lot to lose under the republican tax plan. You may recall, mr. Speaker, that the president at that time candidate trump went to the city of philadelphia. And said specifically targeted to the africanamerican community, what do you have to lose . Thats what he said. He talked abthe schools. He talked about the neighborhoods he talked about all the about the neighborhoods he talked about all the challenges we face in urban america, particularly in the africanamerican community. So mr. President , we have a lot to lose under the republican tax plan. The repeal of private activity bonds would be devastating for hospitals and i have a number of hospitals in my district. Temple university. Albert einstein. University of penn. Niversity of st. Jo. Temple. Other nonprofits in Montgomery County who depend on these bonds and rely on publicprivate partnerships to address critical ininfrastructure needs. Financial value projects ensure affordable housing. The list of harmful provisions in this bait and switch tax bill goes on and on. I just received a letter from the chair of Montgomery County, vice man val acuz and chair ken lawrence of the Montgomery County board of commissions. They wrote to me to tell me how residents of Montgomery County are alarmed by what is happening in this tax bill. They are extremely concerned about the fate of the state and local Tax Deductions. Without that, taxpayers will feel an extremely hike. Let me repeat that. They are extremely concerned about the fate of state and local Tax Deductions because this will have extreme impact on local government. That is just not right. That is just not right, mr. Speaker. And just the other day, i spoke with local labor leaders who expressed their great concerns on this tax scam. Thats true, mr. Speaker. It is a tax scam. It is something where jobs will continue to go overseas and not to our communities. In a district that has 27 poverty in the second Congressional District, im truly concerned about the loss of jobs. There are incredibly they are incredibly fearful of what this plan means to the lives of hardworking families across our commonwealth. They know its going to be to many of their families who are going to be among those hit the hardest. Mr. Speaker, remember what i said when i got elected and sworn in i said we need to put people first. This tax scam does not put people first. There are the stores. Stories. Fears and concerns of real people in our neighborhood. These are the people she we should be concerned with. These are the people on the frontline. People who have serious questions about the intentions of this tax plan. What is the republicans response . To push it through for a win. Let me repeat that. To push it through for a win. That is wrong and unacceptable. Were in the business of building a Stronger Tomorrow for our students, our seniors, our veteran, and hardworking families. And all who call our neighborhoods home. Instead of taking away more resources from our cities and suburbs, we should be looking for ways to build, invest, enhance the existing infrastructure our cities have to offer to make them what they re attractive prospect for home buyers and current homeowners. Let me repeat that we should be looking for ways to making ways more attractive to Prospective Home Buyers and current homeowners. Mr. Speaker, we have a real opportunity here to make a difference. And again, im happy to be part of the Congressional Black Caucus under chairman richmonds leadership as well as chairman veasey in leading this effort. Because this is the kind of effort that we have to raise the consciousness and convince people they must resist. We must resist no matter what they say the numbers are and we must resist and keep our voices loud so that they can hear that we are not accepting what is taking place here. So mr. Speaker, i stand here with my colleagues expressing the concern and the outrage that i have about this tax scam. This is not about the people. This is about the interest groups. We have a chance to make a change, mr. Speaker. And we need to work together. I said almost one year ago on this day in this well of this house that the only way we can move America Forward is when we work together. I dont say that just to be saying that. I say it because thats what i did when i was in the pennsylvania legislature. Working together make a difference. Thats the only way were going to move the needle. When people work together. So mr. Speaker, i yield back the balance of my time and i thank you for this opportunity. Mr. Veasey representative evans, thank you very much for laying out those concerns about the tax plan and you did so very eloquently and again, just always appreciate your participation and kind of building on what you talked about, i want to give the american American Public out there and the constituents we represent in the Congressional Black Caucus a quick outline of who exactly this plan will hurt. Very concerned about this terrible tax plan because its going to cut rates for the highest 1 of earners and corporations. While increasing the tax burden on her and middle class families while the republicans are falsely going around claiming that theyre going to be helping these individuals and these families. Thats just not the case at all. And for example, let me give you one area that has been touched upon that im concerned about and thats state and local taxes. You know, you wont be eligible any longer for the deduction which means many individuals end up paying twice the amount of taxes on the same income. The elimination of deductions for student loan payments. Weve talked extensively on this house floor on the democratic side about what Student Loans are doing to this country and the costs of a Higher Education. We know that a lot of people seek out Higher Education because of the benefits that it can yield incomewise. Everybody is again always trying to see how theyre going to live that American Dream. They want to be able to pay their taxes, pay their car payment, pay their house note, whatever it may happen to be and when you look at the fact that people wont be able to write off their Student Loans, to help pay for their education anymore, thats really, really going to hurt and probably convince a lot of young people that they just shouldnt seek out Higher Education. And we want young people to seek out Higher Education. Even the blue collar jobs out there we know are becoming harder and harder to keep and maintain and they require some form of education, even going to Community College for a couple of years after they graduate from high school, almost seems to be something that they have to do and the city, the center for American Progress found that 78 of black students in comparison to 57 of white students took out federal loans for their undergraduate studies and in the being able to write those off means that that dream that everyone has regardless of race, being able to buy their first home, the American Dream, theyre going to have to put that off because they can no longer pay off these very costly student Loan Interest payments. These eliminations are going to be very troubling for so many people in the community in light of the fight to build generational wealth. And these trickledown tactics and we have been talking about it for a very long time. But some of these tactics are proving not to work and its disheartening to see the finish line just moved again and again over and over again when people think they are doing better and seeing that finish line and making hard on families, working class to middleclass tax brackets, you know, you are talking about when you look at this very closely, the restructuring will make it so that the tax rates are going to increase from 10 to 12 . The lowest earners out there and some of the poorest will have their tax burden increased and make them for them to climb that economic ladder of opportunity and its already hard to climb that ladder of opportunity. I mean, just think about it for just a minute. If you have two kids and you have a 10 tax burden and making a small amount of money but out there working hard every day and trying to get overtime and punching the clock and having grandma to watch the kids so you can work that extra shift to get those hours in or you are a single mom and you are out there busting it each and every day week after week and dont have it. Ou are getting rent notice put on the door once a month. Its just so tough and to know we arent going to be doing anything at all in this body, the republicans arent going to help these individuals to be able to climb out of that hole and be able and see the light and know that that mom and those kids are going to struggle until the kids leave the house. Its really disheartening. And in addition to that, even the tax provisions are aimed at helping working families are reserved for the wealthiest few in the committee. White House Republicans highlight their Child Tax Credit. Many of the lowest income parents will be ell i believe to receive a partial amount of the tax credit if any of the extension at all. According to the center for budget and policy priorities, the g. O. P. Child tax credit keeps the lowest income workers to benefit despite numerous studies that Child Tax Credit improves School Performance and increasing earnings in adulthood. And refuses to take the interests into consideration ensuring those who are striving to reach the American Dream will simply fall short. And again, just there is so much in this bill that is that is going to be tough. You talk about repealing the estate tax. Even the wealthiest. Rockefellers. Buff fets and bill gates and others are saying that they are fine paying that and absolutely ok with paying that and figure out what we are going to take away from people so they dont have to pay back estate tax. And you heard my colleagues talk about it earlier, but when you talk about the state and local Tax Deductions and the student loan deductions that people count on and Child Tax Credits and new marget tax credits, so many programs and so many things out there that are really helping individuals, helping our economy, and we want to give it back so a few wealthy people dont have to pay estate taxes, its really sad, mr. Speaker, when you think about that. One of the things that i think we ought to do instead of giving is we out to le start thinking about helping grandparents that are raising grandchildren. When i was in the state legislature, i had a principal come up to me on the house floor and i believe it was on the senate floor and there was a picture of the battle that hangs there in austin at the capitol and i was showing the School Children and the principal said thank you for talking about grand parents that are raising grandchildren. 50 of the kids are raised by someone other than their parent and 99 of the time its the grand parent. Instead of giving superrich people, ultrarich people a pass on paying their inheritance tax, why dont we give grand parents a refundable tax credit who serve as primary caregivers for their grandchildren. That would help out so much. Because you have to think about what they are facing. They didnt think their pension check was going to have to be used to help pay for supplies School Clothes shes ackpacks, school uniforms, haircuts, prom dresses. The grandparents are really balancing a lot, more than any generation of grandparents have. And we could take the money that we are going to give away to the buffets s and warren and rock fellers and we could give it to these grandparents. People that represent from every Congressional District in this country. And you know, oftentimes, you talk about Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and there have been issues with drugs