Blake D. Moore
Representative for Utah · Republican · United States
“{time} 1810 Through the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process, House Republicans continued efforts to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars by identifying several savings, reducing unnecessary spending, eliminating wasteful programs, and ensuring funding is focused on the Federal Government's core responsibilities.”
“Speaker, as I was mentioning, there is no question that we have a major issue in front of us. Over the last 18 months, I have gone back home and had a chance to share a lot of the specifics as to the gains that we are making from the reductions. I want to just highlight some of this.”
“Government loses as much as $500 billion in Federal funds every year to fraud. Half a trillion dollars is wasted because fraudsters and scammers cheat our systems. That is $4,000 per American household every year completely wasted.”
“The world of tariff and trade policy will continue to play out where you will still get revenue to help us offset some of the deficits. I have been critical of some of the tariff policy. I have been supportive of some of the tariff policy. I want two specific things from tariffs. I want them to be consistent.”
“The world of tariff and trade policy will continue to play out where you will still get revenue to help us offset some of the deficits. I have been critical of some of the tariff policy. I have been supportive of some of the tariff policy. I want two specific things from tariffs. I want them to be consistent.”
“In the Ways and Means Committee, we have worked to put new guardrails on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to mitigate improper payments and ensure States are paying their fair share for this critically important program.”
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“Speaker, I am grateful to bring Utah's sound fiscal policies to Washington on the House Budget Committee, and I will continue to fight for the American family as we seek to give our children a better economic future. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________”
“As I mentioned earlier, the data that I have here, I was told several months ago that they had canceled 400 licenses and only heard back from 12. That is obviously a green light to then reach out and identify more. If you cancel a license and you don't hear from that company or those stakeholders, you have definitely nailed that right aspect of finding that fraudulent activity. It is a point that I hope that every American can really understand. This is not a partisan issue. Everything back here becomes partisan, but if you look at it and just actually take the data, this is a sensational thing that is going on, and it is going to continue to go on for the duration of this administration. We must continue to courageously work to solve this crisis, and we cannot let it get too late. Mr.”
“Every dollar stolen through fraud is a dollar taken from workers, families, seniors, veterans, and small businesses that actually need the support. We have got enough excuses, loopholes, and taxpayer money disappearing into fraud and abuse. Our government programs have a problem, and our taxpayers are the ones paying the price. These are the loopholes we are closing. We are cracking down on this and holding negligent State leaders accountable. We cannot lower our deficit without addressing the fraudulent spending throughout our country. For a year and a half, Republicans have shone a light on the amount of fraud, abuse, and the sheer waste. We are reducing the deficit by cutting this spending, and it is happening on daily basis.”
“To that end, I am working on legislation that will allow more of the money recovered by the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program to be reinvested directly into the fraud prevention program. The areas that this money needs to be reinvested back into are the trust funds and also back into the programs that will help us continue to be strong in this regard. Earlier this year, House Republicans passed the Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act, legislation that strengthened fraud prevention across the Federal Government and help protect taxpayer dollars from fraud, scams, and abuse. Families are stretching every dollar right now. Fraudsters are cashing in on taxpayer-funded programs like childcare, student aid, and safety-net programs. Americans play by the rules. Scammers should not get rewarded. This is the right fight.”
“That was Dr. Oz's mission, and that is what his team's mission is. They do an incredible job of explaining and sharing with us the proper information. It is not hyperbole; it is not rhetoric; it is literally data. They talk about these numbers with respect to spending a dollar on these efforts, site visits, sending out communication to find out if they are truly actual patients on hospice. That takes a little bit of resources, but we are getting back a strong yield from that, $1 for $25 in savings. {time} 1820 For every dollar Medicare spends on monitoring programs, the government sees almost $25 in savings. We need more programs like this to root out fraud and recover improper payments.”
“In the Ways and Means Committee, we have worked to put new guardrails on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to mitigate improper payments and ensure States are paying their fair share for this critically important program. Empowering agencies to investigate and root out fraud and making targeted investments into fraud prevention and recovery programs is a giant step forward. For every dollar Medicare spends on monitoring programs, the government sees almost $25 in savings. Mr. Speaker, you will see Dr. Oz communicate this, and you will see his team communicate this. They have team members under Dr. Oz's purview who have said: I will come back and work in this job again. They worked in the first Trump administration. They said: I will come back if we can be even more laser focused and really go after the fraud.”
“It is something that I share tonight as we highlight these issues of deficits, that this is going on daily, and as part of that first year of success of $360 billion, this is part of it. This is the type of stuff that Americans love to see because it is wasteful and fraudulent. People need to be held accountable. That is all taking place and happening. Just this week, the Labor Department sent a strike team to New York to crack down on unemployment insurance fraud that is costing taxpayers an estimated $2 million a day. New York recorded more than $750 million in improper unemployment insurance payments and $507 million in fraudulent payments just last year. House Republicans are focused on making sure the services get to the people who actually need them and are not wasted or stolen.”
“Speaker, but this is what these dedicated men and women within our organizations within this administration are going out trying to find. These are real numbers. These are real examples. This is not made up. When I get the chance to go back and share this at home, they are really frustrated. They are also proud that this type of fraud doesn't stem from Utah. It is a moment of some recognition that States have a huge responsibility to play with respect to how these programs are implemented, and the States need to do a good job. I am proud to say that Utah has been deemed to be very strong in this case. I am really impressed with the professionalism of what I am seeing. They continue to go and identify this. They are using good data analytics to be able to figure out where the potential might be next and go after it.”
“Patients in hospice care are signed up for treatment with a number to show they are in hospice care. They have an opportunity to send correspondence to these folks just confirming that they have initiated hospice care. Mr. Speaker, 15 percent have come back from States--I think the exact States were in the Southwest, California, Nevada, and, I believe, Arizona. Those three States came back with 15 percent of the people whom they were sending letters to saying, no, they are not on hospice. The majority of that was focused in this area. For some reason, the Los Angeles area went rampant in this hospice world. Ninety companies were associated with one address. I have worked in the durable medical equipment industry before. There is equipment, call centers, and a workforce. You can't run 90 companies out of one location, Mr.”
“They have even had a chance to do more, but they [[Page H4535]] have suspended 400 licenses and really only heard back from 12, meaning that 12 were probably running legitimate businesses. They identified, through good data analytics, investing in targeting the right areas where we anticipate there being significant fraud, and they are taking action. If somebody reaches out and says, ``Wait, what is going on? Why did you cancel our license?'' if they are a legitimate business doing legitimate work, they can show that. The overwhelming majority were actually pinpointed. They suspected some level of fraud, and it appears to be very accurate. Another anecdote that I just got recently, just this week, from a meeting with members within this agency, CMS, is that they have sent letters to the Medicare patients.”
“Fake ghost students are draining $180 million in financial aid that should be helping hardworking American students, so I am supporting ID verification before tax dollars to support those programs go out the door. Our reports have exposed fraud in States like Minnesota and California. They have industrial-scale theft, and it has gone unabated for years. Even States like Florida have had many issues in this regard. One-third of all hospices in the entire country are in Los Angeles, and CMS estimates that at least one-half of those are fraudulent. Eight hundred of those hospices have now been suspended. The numbers I had from just a couple of months ago were that they suspended licenses of 400.”
“Government loses as much as $500 billion in Federal funds every year to fraud. Half a trillion dollars is wasted because fraudsters and scammers cheat our systems. That is $4,000 per American household every year completely wasted. If there is one thing that infuriates every American, it is the waste of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars. I find that in my own life. My wife and I are budgeting. The part that is frustrating is that it is not that we don't have to spend or invest in areas, but we have to eliminate the waste. Families are working hard to play by the rules, and fraudsters are stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from childcare programs, To address this, the House Republicans recently passed the Stop Child Care Scams Act, forcing accountability when States repeatedly fail to fix fraud and serious program violations.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for his message and focus on very important issues. Mr. Speaker, as I was mentioning, there is no question that we have a major issue in front of us. Over the last 18 months, I have gone back home and had a chance to share a lot of the specifics as to the gains that we are making from the reductions. I want to just highlight some of this. Our Federal debt continues to grow unsustainably, and major trust fund programs face looming insolvency. To add insult to injury here, there is rampant fraud across our country. If we want to get a handle on our national debt, then we also need to address what I will call the invisible tax on the American people. The data is staggering. The Government Accountability Office estimates that the U.S.”
“I am going to share some anecdotes and some data. I look forward to doing that. Before I do that, I have a colleague here who is going to share a brief message. I yield to the gentleman from the great State of North Carolina (Mr. Edwards).”
“The world of tariff and trade policy will continue to play out where you will still get revenue to help us offset some of the deficits. I have been critical of some of the tariff policy. I have been supportive of some of the tariff policy. I want two specific things from tariffs. I want them to be consistent. If they are going to exist, I want them to be consistent, something the companies, business folks, and families can plan on, as well as be a positive contributor to reducing deficits. I think there is an opportunity to do both of those things, and we are seeing that play out. I am going to talk a little bit tonight about what is actually going on with one of the most important aspects of the constant churn of us reducing deficits, and that is what is taking place within some of our administrative agencies on finding fraud.”
“The first year that Republicans had the White House, House, and Senate, we had an extraordinary feat of $360 billion worth of deficit reduction. There were spending constraints. There was restructuring of how we approached some of the student loan aspect of the budget, various elements within the entirety of the appropriations process from different agencies across the board that were pulling back and withholding some of their planned spending. That, mixed with revenues from tariffs, created a $360 billion deficit reduction. It doesn't get reported much, doesn't get talked about. A portion of that tariff money after the SCOTUS ruling will be refunded back, so of that 360, there will be money going back ultimately to some of these companies that are involved in this.”
“I remember voting against debt ceiling increases that didn't have some type of spending reduction, even when my own side was proposing them, that didn't have some type of spending reduction, a spending cap, or even a fiscal commission. There are many solutions. It is a key aspect, and it is something that we need to reflect on. In President Trump's first year, as we started the 119th Congress, taking that first entire year, calendar year 2025, and comparing it to calendar year 2024, a very unique thing happened: We had about $360 billion worth of deficit reduction. We ran an approximately $1.8 to $1.9 trillion deficit over the last few years, and it has gone up considerably since COVID, during President Biden's 4 years.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In 10 years, the deficit will be greater than every penny spent by the Federal Government between 1789 and 2023. As we celebrate our 250th, this is the time to reflect on it and to focus on it. I am going to share something tonight that is going on every single day, specifically about trying to find the opportunity for deficit reduction. I have another colleague who will be here momentarily as well, but this is, obviously, an evergreen topic, something that we are constantly focused on, something that members of the Budget Committee, members of the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum, members of various groups that focus more heavily on this than maybe some other issues. I am proud to count myself as part of that.”
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Utah? There was no objection.”
“Speaker, I am grateful to bring Utah's sound fiscal policies to Washington on the House Budget Committee, and I will continue to fight for the American family as we seek to give our children a better economic future. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________”
“As I mentioned earlier, the data that I have here, I was told several months ago that they had canceled 400 licenses and only heard back from 12. That is obviously a green light to then reach out and identify more. If you cancel a license and you don't hear from that company or those stakeholders, you have definitely nailed that right aspect of finding that fraudulent activity. It is a point that I hope that every American can really understand. This is not a partisan issue. Everything back here becomes partisan, but if you look at it and just actually take the data, this is a sensational thing that is going on, and it is going to continue to go on for the duration of this administration. We must continue to courageously work to solve this crisis, and we cannot let it get too late. Mr.”
“Every dollar stolen through fraud is a dollar taken from workers, families, seniors, veterans, and small businesses that actually need the support. We have got enough excuses, loopholes, and taxpayer money disappearing into fraud and abuse. Our government programs have a problem, and our taxpayers are the ones paying the price. These are the loopholes we are closing. We are cracking down on this and holding negligent State leaders accountable. We cannot lower our deficit without addressing the fraudulent spending throughout our country. For a year and a half, Republicans have shone a light on the amount of fraud, abuse, and the sheer waste. We are reducing the deficit by cutting this spending, and it is happening on daily basis.”
“To that end, I am working on legislation that will allow more of the money recovered by the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program to be reinvested directly into the fraud prevention program. The areas that this money needs to be reinvested back into are the trust funds and also back into the programs that will help us continue to be strong in this regard. Earlier this year, House Republicans passed the Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act, legislation that strengthened fraud prevention across the Federal Government and help protect taxpayer dollars from fraud, scams, and abuse. Families are stretching every dollar right now. Fraudsters are cashing in on taxpayer-funded programs like childcare, student aid, and safety-net programs. Americans play by the rules. Scammers should not get rewarded. This is the right fight.”
“That was Dr. Oz's mission, and that is what his team's mission is. They do an incredible job of explaining and sharing with us the proper information. It is not hyperbole; it is not rhetoric; it is literally data. They talk about these numbers with respect to spending a dollar on these efforts, site visits, sending out communication to find out if they are truly actual patients on hospice. That takes a little bit of resources, but we are getting back a strong yield from that, $1 for $25 in savings. {time} 1820 For every dollar Medicare spends on monitoring programs, the government sees almost $25 in savings. We need more programs like this to root out fraud and recover improper payments.”
“In the Ways and Means Committee, we have worked to put new guardrails on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to mitigate improper payments and ensure States are paying their fair share for this critically important program. Empowering agencies to investigate and root out fraud and making targeted investments into fraud prevention and recovery programs is a giant step forward. For every dollar Medicare spends on monitoring programs, the government sees almost $25 in savings. Mr. Speaker, you will see Dr. Oz communicate this, and you will see his team communicate this. They have team members under Dr. Oz's purview who have said: I will come back and work in this job again. They worked in the first Trump administration. They said: I will come back if we can be even more laser focused and really go after the fraud.”
“It is something that I share tonight as we highlight these issues of deficits, that this is going on daily, and as part of that first year of success of $360 billion, this is part of it. This is the type of stuff that Americans love to see because it is wasteful and fraudulent. People need to be held accountable. That is all taking place and happening. Just this week, the Labor Department sent a strike team to New York to crack down on unemployment insurance fraud that is costing taxpayers an estimated $2 million a day. New York recorded more than $750 million in improper unemployment insurance payments and $507 million in fraudulent payments just last year. House Republicans are focused on making sure the services get to the people who actually need them and are not wasted or stolen.”
“Speaker, but this is what these dedicated men and women within our organizations within this administration are going out trying to find. These are real numbers. These are real examples. This is not made up. When I get the chance to go back and share this at home, they are really frustrated. They are also proud that this type of fraud doesn't stem from Utah. It is a moment of some recognition that States have a huge responsibility to play with respect to how these programs are implemented, and the States need to do a good job. I am proud to say that Utah has been deemed to be very strong in this case. I am really impressed with the professionalism of what I am seeing. They continue to go and identify this. They are using good data analytics to be able to figure out where the potential might be next and go after it.”
“Patients in hospice care are signed up for treatment with a number to show they are in hospice care. They have an opportunity to send correspondence to these folks just confirming that they have initiated hospice care. Mr. Speaker, 15 percent have come back from States--I think the exact States were in the Southwest, California, Nevada, and, I believe, Arizona. Those three States came back with 15 percent of the people whom they were sending letters to saying, no, they are not on hospice. The majority of that was focused in this area. For some reason, the Los Angeles area went rampant in this hospice world. Ninety companies were associated with one address. I have worked in the durable medical equipment industry before. There is equipment, call centers, and a workforce. You can't run 90 companies out of one location, Mr.”
“They have even had a chance to do more, but they [[Page H4535]] have suspended 400 licenses and really only heard back from 12, meaning that 12 were probably running legitimate businesses. They identified, through good data analytics, investing in targeting the right areas where we anticipate there being significant fraud, and they are taking action. If somebody reaches out and says, ``Wait, what is going on? Why did you cancel our license?'' if they are a legitimate business doing legitimate work, they can show that. The overwhelming majority were actually pinpointed. They suspected some level of fraud, and it appears to be very accurate. Another anecdote that I just got recently, just this week, from a meeting with members within this agency, CMS, is that they have sent letters to the Medicare patients.”
“Fake ghost students are draining $180 million in financial aid that should be helping hardworking American students, so I am supporting ID verification before tax dollars to support those programs go out the door. Our reports have exposed fraud in States like Minnesota and California. They have industrial-scale theft, and it has gone unabated for years. Even States like Florida have had many issues in this regard. One-third of all hospices in the entire country are in Los Angeles, and CMS estimates that at least one-half of those are fraudulent. Eight hundred of those hospices have now been suspended. The numbers I had from just a couple of months ago were that they suspended licenses of 400.”
“That is $4,000 per American household every year completely wasted. If there is one thing that infuriates every American, it is the waste of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars. I find that in my own life. My wife and I are budgeting. The part that is frustrating is that it is not that we don't have to spend or invest in areas, but we have to eliminate the waste. Families are working hard to play by the rules, and fraudsters are stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from childcare programs, To address this, the House Republicans recently passed the Stop Child Care Scams Act, forcing accountability when States repeatedly fail to fix fraud and serious program violations.”
“Speaker, as I was mentioning, there is no question that we have a major issue in front of us. Over the last 18 months, I have gone back home and had a chance to share a lot of the specifics as to the gains that we are making from the reductions. I want to just highlight some of this. Our Federal debt continues to grow unsustainably, and major trust fund programs face looming insolvency. To add insult to injury here, there is rampant fraud across our country. If we want to get a handle on our national debt, then we also need to address what I will call the invisible tax on the American people. The data is staggering. The Government Accountability Office estimates that the U.S. Government loses as much as $500 billion in Federal funds every year to fraud. Half a trillion dollars is wasted because fraudsters and scammers cheat our systems.”
“{time} 1810 Through the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process, House Republicans continued efforts to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars by identifying several savings, reducing unnecessary spending, eliminating wasteful programs, and ensuring funding is focused on the Federal Government's core responsibilities. We didn't create a $39 trillion debt overnight, and we are not going to solve it overnight, but every responsible spending decision moves us in the right direction. The American people deserve a government that lives within its means, just as they do every day. It is time to restore fiscal responsibility, reduce the deficit, and leave the next generation with a far stronger financial future. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for his message and focus on very important issues. Mr.”
“Decades of unchecked spending have left us with rising interest payments, growing deficits, and fewer resources available for the priorities that really matter. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have worked to ensure that we are good stewards of every taxpayer dollar. That means supporting our national defense, strengthening border security, helping communities recover from disasters like Hurricane Helene, and funding the essential functions of government while still looking for every opportunity to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.”
“I am going to share some anecdotes and some data. I look forward to doing that. Before I do that, I have a colleague here who is going to share a brief message. I yield to the gentleman from the great State of North Carolina (Mr. Edwards). Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, our national debt has now surpassed $39 trillion, and every second that we fail to address it, that number continues to grow, placing an even greater burden on future generations. Families across western North Carolina understand just a simple truth: You can't spend money that you don't have. They balance their budgets, make difficult decisions, and expect their government to do the same. Unfortunately, Washington has spent far too long doing just the opposite.”
“The world of tariff and trade policy will continue to play out where you will still get revenue to help us offset some of the deficits. I have been critical of some of the tariff policy. I have been supportive of some of the tariff policy. I want two specific things from tariffs. I want them to be consistent. If they are going to exist, I want them to be consistent, something the companies, business folks, and families can plan on, as well as be a positive contributor to reducing deficits. I think there is an opportunity to do both of those things, and we are seeing that play out. I am going to talk a little bit tonight about what is actually going on with one of the most important aspects of the constant churn of us reducing deficits, and that is what is taking place within some of our administrative agencies on finding fraud.”
“The first year that Republicans had the White House, House, and Senate, we had an extraordinary feat of $360 billion worth of deficit reduction. There were spending constraints. There was restructuring of how we approached some of the student loan aspect of the budget, various elements within the entirety of the appropriations process from different agencies across the board that were pulling back and withholding some of their planned spending. That, mixed with revenues from tariffs, created a $360 billion deficit reduction. It doesn't get reported much, doesn't get talked about. A portion of that tariff money after the SCOTUS ruling will be refunded back, so of that 360, there will be money going back ultimately to some of these companies that are involved in this.”
“I remember voting against debt ceiling increases that didn't have some type of spending reduction, even when my own side was proposing them, that didn't have some type of spending reduction, a spending cap, or even a fiscal commission. There are many solutions. It is a key aspect, and it is something that we need to reflect on. In President Trump's first year, as we started the 119th Congress, taking that first entire year, calendar year 2025, and comparing it to calendar year 2024, a very unique thing happened: We had about $360 billion worth of deficit reduction. We ran an approximately $1.8 to $1.9 trillion deficit over the last few years, and it has gone up considerably since COVID, during President Biden's 4 years.”
“Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In 10 years, the deficit will be greater than every penny spent by the Federal Government between 1789 and 2023. As we celebrate our 250th, this is the time to reflect on it and to focus on it. I am going to share something tonight that is going on every single day, specifically about trying to find the opportunity for deficit reduction. I have another colleague who will be here momentarily as well, but this is, obviously, an evergreen topic, something that we are constantly focused on, something that members of the Budget Committee, members of the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum, members of various groups that focus more heavily on this than maybe some other issues. I am proud to count myself as part of that.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4534-H4535] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PRIORITIZING REINING IN OUR NATIONAL DEBT (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Moore of Utah was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.) General Leave Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Utah? There was no objection. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr.”
“I look forward to being a key part of that as we move forward. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________”
“These are complete lies that the tax policies that Republicans put forth actually strengthen and target the middle- and lower-income Americans. We will say that over and over again. Unfortunately, my Democratic colleagues will say this is just going to benefit the billionaires. I hope that, deep down, they would come to some realization that that is just a lie. Their own media is saying that it is just a lie. It is just one of those things that exist back here, and we are probably going to be dealing with that a lot for the next few months. The reality is this is good, strong tax policy that is going to benefit American families and workers. In addition to some of the successes we have had over the last few months, this is something we have to be able to lock in and accomplish.”
“It is something I am proud to be working on, and I hope that we can celebrate it as a key piece of success as we look past this first 100 days of the administration. We are 4 months into our 119th Congress, and this is going to be a key piece. Democrats will say over and over again that this is just a tax break for the billionaires. Mr. Speaker, when you cap SALT like the Republicans did, that only hurts wealthier folks. I hate to bring them that news. I believe it was Bernie Sanders who was criticized by The Washington Post--again, The Washington Post--by giving three or four Pinocchios when they say that these tax breaks that Republicans do just go to benefit the wealthy. That is The Washington Post saying to call it as it is. These are Pinocchios.”
“I wasn't here then, but as I was sort of watching from the sidelines on these types of things, I get it. Then, in 2021, the Democrats had the White House, the House, and the Senate. They did the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, and they tried to do Build Back Better. Those were incredibly partisan approaches, which I firmly disagreed with, but that was the piece that took place at the time. We have an opportunity going forward for these next few months to be able to deliver on something that is very important to every American family, and that is making sure that they have consistency in the tax code so there is not going to be a massive tax increase on American families next year.”
“In 2017, Republicans doubled the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000. That is something that has been incredibly bipartisan. Democrats, in their own version of reconciliation, have enhanced that, as well. I lead the Family First Act, which is another enhancement of the child tax credit, and I am looking forward to, hopefully, getting that passed through. That is another key win. There are numerous business provisions that help. Real wage growth, economic activity, and strong GDP growth are helping. Mr. Speaker, any time you have the White House, the House, and the Senate under one party, then people get a little bit chippy. They get a little bit partisan as we try to get significant pieces of legislation through. It is not going to be any different this time. That was the case in 2017.”
“To put it in plain terms, this is just making sure that, at the end of this year, American families don't pay a significant increase in taxes. In 2017, there was major tax reform done, and I think if you were to take a look at the specific elements of that bill, Mr. Speaker, you would find excitement and broad support for almost all of it. The Republicans in 2017 doubled the standard deduction. Who does the [[Page H1767]] standard deduction support, and who does it help? It helps lower- and middle-income Americans, plain and simple. It increased the number of people who took the standard deduction and gave them the best tax benefit. It is the wealthy folks who itemize, for the most part. Right there, we are already targeting middle- and lower-income Americans. The second piece is doubling the child tax credit.”
“I hope that we can learn from the good experience with the Laken Riley Act and how our functioning Republic is supposed to work to get a piece of legislation done. This one had good, strong bipartisan support. The President signed it. I know there is more that we could be doing on that so we don't have this constant back and forth in the future of our country. We have to get some predictability with this type of policy. Predictability is incredibly important, as well. As I look ahead past the 101st days, I look ahead to one of the most important things to accomplish going forward, and that is a reconciliation piece of legislation. This discussion that has been very prominent here in the beltway is the talk of reconciliation.”
“The point I had always tried to continue to make was that a simple policy change would actually reduce border crossings significantly. When we do that, we take away the power that the cartels have. When the cartels are in power, human beings suffer. There is no other way to look at it. Customs and Border Protection data from earlier this month show that Southwest border crossings are the lowest they have been in recorded history. Think about that, Mr. Speaker. By the numbers, there were over 7,000 Southwest border crossings in March. That is still a high number, but over the last 4 years, the monthly average was over 150,000. It is astonishing. This is something that has been delivered. I would appreciate any opportunity to codify this into law. I do not like ruling by executive order all the time. This is stuff we need to codify.”
“It is actually some of the most humane things we can do. I still remember the 30-plus immigrants who were basically killed in the back of that truck in the San Antonio area. The only reason that that type of thing happens is because the cartels don't care for human life. The cartels that were running the border over the last 4 years do not care about the plight of an immigrant searching for a better life and a unique work opportunity. They sell them a bill of goods. They literally sell them that bill of goods by making them pay thousands of dollars in the hope that once they get them across the border, then everything will be great for them. Then, they get stuck in a legal system that doesn't benefit them. The most humane way to do it is to re-implement things like the remain in Mexico policy.”
“Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Florida never disappoints, and I thank him for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, I will briefly close with some of the comments I have made before. President Trump in November, along with congressional majorities--the House majority stayed in Republican control. The Senate majority flipped to Republican. It was a clear show that we wanted to move past some of the policies that have been implemented, or not implemented, from the previous administration. I am proud as we look out at his first 100 days. Again, to reiterate what has taken place with our southern border, enforcing very commonsense laws such as making sure that our parole authority is properly done, ending catch and release, and re- implementing the remain in Mexico policy. I think this gets missed from the conversation quite a bit.”