Last week was historic on a couple of fronts. Not only did the Houston Astros win the World Series — for the first time in their 55-year existence — but the House Committee on Ways and Means, which I lead, introduced bold, pro-growth legislation to overhaul our broken tax code for the first time in 31 years.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 will deliver real tax relief to Americans across the country — especially low- and middle-income Americans who have been struggling for far too long to earn a raise and get ahead.
For families, workers and job creators in the Eighth Congressional District and across America, we're lowering rates, eliminating costly deductions that drive up taxes and significantly increasing the standard deduction to protect more of your paycheck from taxes.
We're boosting family-focused tax benefits to help keep up with the rising costs of child care, higher education and looking after their loved ones.
And we're eliminating taxes that punish hard-working families like the Alternative Minimum Tax and the Death Tax. No longer will our family-owned farms and businesses have to worry about double or triple taxation from Washington when they pass down their life's work to the next generation.
Our legislation also delivers unprecedented simplicity that will enable nine out of 10 Americans to file their taxes on a form as simple as a postcard.
Finally, we're making America competitive again by delivering tax relief to businesses of all sizes so our workers and job creators can compete — and win — anywhere in the world.
My committee will debate and markup the legislation this week, and by the end of the year, Congress and President Trump will deliver a 21st-century tax code that grows the economy, brings jobs back home, and increases paychecks.
• • •
This past week, I had the chance to discuss the long-term Hurricane Harvey recovery and rebuild plan with Governor Greg Abbott, Senators Cruz and Cornyn and the Texas Congressional delegation. I am dedicated to making sure Texas gets the resources it needs to recover and invest in infrastructure that helps reduce the flooding and devastation from significant storms in the future.
When we come together as a state, there is nothing we can't accomplish, and I am ready to work with my colleagues in Congress and President Trump to make our recovery a reality.
• • •
On Sunday, Texans were subject to another tragedy. Twenty-six people in Sutherland Springs were killed while attending church, and many more were wounded. Reports indicate the offender was convicted in military court for domestic violence against his wife and child in 2012, he served a year of confinement and was given a bad-conduct discharge from the Air Force in 2014. This conviction for domestic violence should have prevented him from purchasing firearms but didn't.
While this tragedy will be seized as an opportunity to push gun control by some, we can't reasonably expect more gun laws to stop these tragedies when the ones we already have aren't being properly enforced. Instead, the focus should be on the families and loved ones of those affected by Sunday's senseless act of violence and the heroism of those who risked their lives to halt the killing spree.
###
U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady chairs the House Ways and Means Committee. Brady's office in Huntsville is located at 1300 11th Street, Suite 400. The phone number in Huntsville is (936) 439-9532 and Brady's website is https://kevinbrady.house.gov/.
