“The Ways and Means Committee will be central to delivering relief to Americans after four years of high prices, high interest rates, and high uncertainty.”
As prepared for delivery.
“Good morning and welcome everyone to the organizational meeting for the 119th Congress. This Congress, in particular, comes at a critical time for this Committee and the American taxpayer.
“In just six days, President Trump will take the Oath of Office and spark a new era of American prosperity. The Ways and Means Committee will be central to delivering relief to Americans after four years of high prices, high interest rates, and high uncertainty. This Committee has a responsibility to make sure taxes do not go up on over 200 million filers in this country. Let’s be clear: if Congress does not act tax rates go up on every single American family regardless of income level. The child tax credit is cut in half, the standard deduction is cut in half, the Alternative Minimum Tax comes back to impact millions of families, the death tax snaps back in, and small businesses will pay a 43 percent tax rate. We have no time to waste.
“This Committee will also have a long list of priorities throughout our jurisdiction to deliver on for the American people. We will fight the unfair treatment by foreign governments of American farmers, workers and businesses, and open the door for more Made-in-America products to be sold around the world. We will grow and make more of the things we need here in the United States, reducing our dependency on China and other adversaries. We will expand patient access to the best health care – especially for rural communities . We will champion the most vulnerable in our society, including our children and seniors.
“Our work for the future is built on this Committee’s success in the previous Congress. We passed bipartisan tax legislation 40-3 in this committee and then passed the bill with 82 percent support on the House floor. It’s been about a decade since that last happened. First in a generation bipartisan child welfare reform, advanced by this Committee, became law. It gave children in tough circumstances a greater chance of living in a safe, stable home and helping parents and other caregivers get the resources they need to care for their kids. We advanced pro-patient, pro-innovation health care policies to enhance access to quality care in every part of the country. We reasserted Congress’s authority over trade, including greenlighting a trade agreement with Taiwan. Tomorrow, the House will take the next step and approve legislation that gives American workers and businesses fairer tax treatment with Taiwan in our effort to boost American manufacturing jobs and the production of critical technologies like semiconductors while reducing our dependency on China.
“That was just the start.
“Our oversight agenda fought abuses of the tax code wherever present. After the October 7th attack by Hamas terrorists on the people of Israel, this Committee conducted an investigation for months and developed legislation that ensures the tax code does not subsidize antisemitism at home and terrorism abroad. As laid out in the oversight plan we will mark up later, we will continue aggressive investigations on behalf of all taxpayers to protect their hard-earned dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse.
“In all our work, we listened to the workers, families, farmers, and small businesses of America. We held 14 hearings all around the country to hear from folks in their communities. Republican Tax Teams picked up the baton and crisscrossed the country too, holding over 120 listening sessions in 20 states to hear directly from Americans about how we can build on the Trump tax cuts.
“In this Congress, we will continue to put the concerns of America’s working class first. The people who wake up, go to work, and come home to take care of their families and neighbors every day in communities across this country. These people will continue to be our priority at Ways and Means.
“The Ways and Means Committee truly is the best, most important committee in Congress. There is not a single American who is not affected by the work we do at this dais.
“Our responsibilities are spelled out in the Constitution, and the history of this committee, since its start in 1789, tracks the history of America. The Framers gave the House of Representatives the power to originate revenue bills in order to ensure greater power for the people over how they are taxed. It is the responsibility of this Committee to protect that Constitutional right for the House on behalf of the American people – and it is one as Chairman I do not take lightly.
“Today, members of this Committee, both Republicans and Democrats, represent the best Congress has to offer. These colleagues are tireless in finding ways to improve the lives of those they represent and all Americans. To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, Republicans will work with you to achieve bipartisan wins when possible.
“We have a big responsibility to tackle the equally big challenges facing our fellow Americans. We must make the most of this opportunity and enact a pro-worker, pro-growth agenda that will deliver on the policies President Trump has championed and the American people have demanded. I look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.”