{"id":50041,"date":"2017-12-20T23:33:20","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T07:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=50041"},"modified":"2017-12-20T23:33:20","modified_gmt":"2017-12-21T07:33:20","slug":"president-donald-trump-vice-president-mike-pence-and-members-of-congress-at-bill-passage-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=50041","title":{"rendered":"President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Members of Congress at Bill Passage Event"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody, very much.  And these are the people right behind me.  They\u2019ve worked so long, so hard.  It\u2019s been an amazing experience, I have to tell you.  Hasn\u2019t been done in 34 years, but actually, really hasn\u2019t been done, because we broke every record.  It\u2019s the largest \u2014 I always say, the most massive \u2014 but it\u2019s the largest tax cut in the history of our country \u2014 and reform \u2014 but tax cut.  (Applause.)  Really something special.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J3ypu3N-43s\" frameborder=\"0\" gesture=\"media\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>And I know this just came out.  Two minutes ago, they handed it to me.  AT&#038;T plans to increase U.S. capital spending $1 billion and provide $1,000 special bonus to more than 200,000 U.S. employees, and that\u2019s because of what we did.  So that\u2019s pretty good.  That\u2019s pretty good.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And I have a whole list of accomplishments that the group behind me have done, in terms of this administration and this Congress, but you\u2019ve heard it before.  Records all over the place, and that will continue and then some because of what we did.  But $3.2 trillion \u2014 just think of it \u2014 in tax cuts for American families, including doubling the standard deduction and doubling the child tax credit.<\/p>\n<p>The typical family of four earning $75,000 will see an income tax cut of more than $2,000.  They\u2019re going to have $2,000, and that\u2019s, in my opinion, going to be less than the average.  You\u2019re going to have a lot more than that.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>One thing, very important, for the farmers \u2014 the great farmers, and the great small-business owners, that were forced to sell their businesses at bargain, basement numbers \u2014 we have provided, for the most part, estate tax is wiped out.  So they can keep their farms in the family, and that to me is a very big factor \u2014 very big.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>This is \u2014 this is going to mean companies are going to be coming back.  And I campaigned on the fact that we\u2019re not going to lose our companies anymore.  They\u2019re going to stay in our country.  And they\u2019re going to stay in our country.  And you\u2019ve been seeing what\u2019s been happening, even at this prospect.  But they have tremendous enthusiasm right now in this country.  And we have companies pouring back into our country.  And that means jobs, and it means really, the formation of new young, beautiful strong, companies.  So that\u2019s going to be very, very important.<\/p>\n<p>The pass-throughs, you know all about, and the small businesses are going to be big beneficiaries.  We are going to be bring at least $4 trillion back into this country \u2014 money that was frozen overseas and in parts of the world.  And some of them don\u2019t even like us, and they had the money.  Well they\u2019re not going to have the money long.  (Applause.)  And so it\u2019s really \u2014 I guess it\u2019s very simple, when you think you haven\u2019t heard this expression, but we are making America great again.  You haven\u2019t heard that, have you?  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>I want to have them get up and get the glamor and the glory, and I just want to have a few of them come up and they\u2019ll speak for a little while \u2014 and short \u2014 the shorter the better.  (Laughter.)  That way we can get all of you \u2014 we\u2019ll get everybody up, right?<\/p>\n<p>But I want to thank Mitch McConnell.  I want to thank \u2014 (applause) \u2014 what a job, what a job.  And I want to thank Paul.  They\u2019re going to speak; they\u2019re going to say a few words.  But Paul Ryan and Mitch \u2014 it was a little team.  We just got together, and we would work very hard.  Didn\u2019t we?  Huh?  It seems like \u2014 it was a lot of fun.  It\u2019s always a lot of fun when you win.  (Laughter.)  If you work hard and lose, that\u2019s not acceptable.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019m just going to name a few names and then some of them will come up.  But people that I saw so much over the last month \u2014 and really over the last, almost year \u2014 because when you think of it, we haven\u2019t even been a year, and we did the largest tax cut in our history.<\/p>\n<p>We \u2014 I hate to say this \u2014 but we essentially repealed Obamacare because we got rid of the individual mandate, which was terrible.  (Applause.)  And that was a primary source of funding of Obamacare.<\/p>\n<p>And ANWR \u2014 so a friend of mine \u2014 oh congratulations \u2014 (applause) \u2014 and Dan, where\u2019s Dan?<\/p>\n<p>PARTICIPANT:  Don.  Don.  Right behind you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No, and Don too.  Where\u2019s Dan?  Where\u2019s Dan?<\/p>\n<p>PARTICIPANT:  Sullivan?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Where\u2019s Sullivan?<\/p>\n<p>PARTICIPANT: He\u2019s not here.  Lisa Murkowski is right here.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, okay.  I\u2019ll tell you, between Dan and Don and Lisa, you\u2019ve done a very great job.<\/p>\n<p>So a friend of mine called up about ANWR \u2014 he\u2019s in the oil business \u2014 he said, \u201cYou didn\u2019t get ANWR?\u201d  And I said, \u201cTell me about ANWR.\u201d  He said, \u201cWe\u2019ve been trying to get that passed.  The whole country \u2014 the world \u2014 they tried in Ronald Reagan.  They tried with the Bushes.  They tried with everybody.  They never got ANWR.\u201d  But we got ANWR in this bill.  So we have ANWR, we have mandate, and we have the tax cut, and we have the reform.  (Applause.)  I mean when you add up the size of this bill it\u2019s really great.<\/p>\n<p>So, Lisa, thank you very much \u2014 Lisa Murkowski.<\/p>\n<p>So John Cornyn, the great Chairman Orrin Hatch \u2014 (applause) \u2014 great job, Orrin.  Wow.  Orrin is a special person.  Tim Scott, who has been so incredible.  He\u2019s going to say a few words.  (Applause.)  Where is Tim?  Where is Tim?<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, you pick it up.  He\u2019s younger than I am.  (Laughter.)  Come here.  I have it mostly memorized.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>But Tim Scott has been great.  John Thune, where\u2019s John?  John.  John \u2014 great job, John.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Rob Portman, a real student of the tax world.  Rob, thank you very much.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank \u2014 I said hello to John Cornyn.  Pat Toomey, he has been \u2014 we rode together in Pennsylvania.  But Pat \u2014 where\u2019s Pat?  Pat, great job.  He knows his business.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Susan Collins, we want to thank.  Susan is around someplace.  Susan?  Thank you, Susan.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>All friends \u2014 I mean, I look at these people, it\u2019s like we\u2019re warriors together.  Kristi Noem on the House \u2014 we have Kristi Noem and Diane Black, our great Speaker Paul Ryan \u2014 and he is a great Speaker.  (Applause.)  Great job.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin McCarthy.  (Applause.)  Kevin \u2014 what a job, Kevin.  We had fun.  Did we have a good time?<\/p>\n<p>Steve Scalise, he\u2019s braver than all of us.  He\u2019s braver.  Where is he?  (Applause.)  Oh boy, I don\u2019t know.  He had a rougher year than most of us, but it\u2019s a hell of a way to lose weight, Steve.  (Laughter.)  You said lost it.  Not a good way.  We love you, Steve.  Great job.  Great job.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Brady.  Kevin.  (Applause.)  Kevin Brady.<\/p>\n<p>So maybe what I\u2019ll do \u2014 and by the way I mentioned AT&#038;T, but many companies have come forward and saying they\u2019re so happy.  And they\u2019re going to be doing similar announcements.  We\u2019re going to see something that\u2019s going to be very special.  We\u2019re bringing the entrepreneur back into this country.  We\u2019re getting rid of all the knots and all the ties, and you\u2019re going to see.  You\u2019re going to see what happens.  And ultimately, what does it mean?  It means jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs.<\/p>\n<p>So it\u2019s going to be, really, a special period of time.  We\u2019re in a very special period of time, and it\u2019s going to be even more so.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank everybody behind me.  Maybe I could start with Mitch, and then we\u2019ll go to Paul, and then we\u2019re going to have a few of the folks come up and say a few words and we\u2019ll have a little fun.  Okay?  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Mitch, how about you start it?<\/p>\n<p>LEADER MCCONNELL:  Well, let me just say, Mr. President, you made the case for the tax bill.  But this has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the Trump administration.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve cemented the Supreme Court right-of-center for a generation.  (Applause.)  Mr. President, thanks to your nominees, we\u2019ve put 12 circuit court judges in place \u2014 the most since the circuit court system was established in 1891.  You hold the record.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve ended the overregulation of the American economy.  And that, coupled with what we did last night and what the House finished this morning, means America is going to start growing again.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, Mr. President, for all you\u2019re doing.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>SPEAKER RYAN:  First of all, what this represents is a promise that each and every one of us made to the American people last year is a promise that is kept today.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Something this big, something this generational, something this profound could not have been done without exquisite presidential leadership.  Mr. President, thank you for getting us over the finish line.  Thank you for getting us where we are.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>I just want to quickly just say a thanks because this has been such a team effort from everybody.  I want to thank Gary Cohn and Steve Mnuchin from the President\u2019s economic team for what they did to get us here.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank my partner, Mitch McConnell, over in the Senate for getting us to where we are.  And I want to thank these two chairmen, Orrin Hatch and Kevin Brady.  Thank you so much for your leadership on this.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>It is really simple.  The message to the hardworking taxpayers of America is:  Your tax relief is on its way.  That is what\u2019s happening here.  The message to the families in America who\u2019ve been struggling, paycheck and paycheck \u2014 your tax rates are going down and your paychecks are going up.<\/p>\n<p>This is the kind of relief that Americans deserve.  This is the kind of tax reform and tax cuts that get our economy growing to reach its potential.  This gets us better wages, bigger paychecks, a simpler tax system.  This gets the American economy competitive in the global economy.  This is one of the most important things we could do for all of the people we represent.<\/p>\n<p>This is generational.  And we\u2019re so excited that we are going to launch, next year, this fantastic tax reform so that the American people can see how we can truly reach our economic growth and our economic potential.  And if it weren\u2019t for all the leadership of the men and women up here, this would not have been made possible.<\/p>\n<p>But lastly, I just want to thank the American people.  I want to thank the American people for putting their trust in us, for giving us this chance and this ability to make this moment possible.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  A man who\u2019s been working very hard.  Thank you, Paul.  Very, very hard for a long period of time, and last night was very much a culmination.  But I don\u2019t know if we\u2019ll have bigger moments, but we hope to.  We\u2019re going to try.<\/p>\n<p>A very special guy and great friend of mine, Vice President Mike Pence.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you, Mr. President.  Thank you for those kind words.  But more importantly, thank you for your leadership.  Thank you for your boundless faith in the American people, and thank you for keeping your promise to see this Congress deliver the largest tax cut in American history before Christmas of this year.  Merry Christmas, America.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>To members of our Cabinet, to Leader McConnell, to Speaker Ryan, to all these members of Congress:  Thank you.  Thank you not only for being here today for this special moment, but thank you for your leadership and support throughout this year.<\/p>\n<p>I truly do believe, Mr. President, that this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the life of our nation, a day when the Congress answered your call and made history.<\/p>\n<p>But, honestly, I would say to the American people:  President Trump has been making history since the first day of this administration.  (Applause.)  We\u2019ve been rebuilding our military; standing with our veterans; and, just last week, President Trump signed one of the largest investments in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve been defending our borders; upholding the rule of law.  Illegal crossings on our southern border are down by more than 50 percent.<\/p>\n<p>And President Trump has been restoring American credibility on the world stage, standing with our allies and standing up to our enemies.  As the President reflected earlier today, our NATO allies are paying more toward their common defense.  North Korea is more isolated than ever before.  This President has put Iran on notice, and put the war on Afghanistan on a path to victory.  And thanks to the leadership of this Commander-in-Chief and the courage of our armed forces, ISIS is on the run, their capital has fallen, and their so-called caliphate has crumbled across Syria and Iraq.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But what brings us here today is that President Trump also knows that American strength starts with a growing American economy.  And from the first day of this administration, this President championed free and fair trade; he rolled back federal red tape at record levels; we\u2019ve unleashed American energy; and, today, Mr. President, you\u2019ve fulfilled the promise you made to millions of Americans struggling in this economy, to cut taxes across the board for working families and businesses large and small.<\/p>\n<p>In August of this year, the President laid out his vision for a tax cut that would be a middle-class miracle, and that\u2019s exactly what the Congress passed today.  (Applause.)  This tax cut will put more money in the pockets of the American people; it will make our tax code more simple, more fair, more easy to understand.  It will make businesses across America more competitive to create good-paying jobs and raise wages for working Americans.<\/p>\n<p>I can tell you I serve with him every day.  President Donald Trump is a man of his word.  He\u2019s a man of action.  And with the strong support of these members of Congress, President Donald Trump delivered a great victory for the American people.  We made history today.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But as the President said when we gathered this morning \u2014 a few of us, with a few less hours sleep than usual \u2014 we\u2019re just getting started.  And I can assure you this President and this entire administration will not rest and relent until the forgotten men and women of America are forgotten no more.<\/p>\n<p>So thank you, Mr. President.  Thank you for your leadership.  Thank you for your love for this country and the people of this country.  And I know in my heart, with the strong, continued support of the members of Congress who are gathered on these steps, and with God\u2019s help, you will make America great again.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mike, very much.  A friend of mine \u2014 a very, very special man \u2014 Tim Scott.  Tim, I\u2019d like you to say a few words.  He came in, and he would solve some problems that \u2014 we weren\u2019t looking too good a couple of times, and Tim was really, really a tremendous help.  Thank you, Tim.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>SENATOR SCOTT:  Well, Mr. President, during one of those conversations that we had, we talked about ways to improve distressed communities throughout this country.  Fifty-two million Americans living in distressed communities \u2014 and we talked about legislation that could move those communities forward.  And you said, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And as a part of this tax reform passage, the Investing and Opportunity Act has been included, which will bring trillions of dollars into poor communities because of your willingness to listen.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>The President said I only have about 45 more minutes, so I\u2019m going to get to my \u2014 (laughter).<\/p>\n<p>PARTICIPANT:  All time expired.<\/p>\n<p>SENATOR SCOTT:  He didn\u2019t say that.  Okay, got it.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Let me just say to those Americans who are watching this process, this is not about Washington.  It\u2019s not about the Left.  It\u2019s not about the Right.  It\u2019s about single-parent moms who are looking for a reason to be hopeful in 2018.  This tax reform plan delivers for the average single mother a 70 percent tax cut.<\/p>\n<p>For the average family who is working paycheck to paycheck, looking for ways to be hopeful about their future, to have an extra night for dinner out at a restaurant, this tax reform package cuts their taxes by nearly 60 percent.<\/p>\n<p>And because of folks like Marco Rubio and Ivanka \u2014 when you think about the folks with kids in the household \u2014 this plan doubles the child tax credit and makes about 70 percent of it refundable.  This is a plan that we can be proud of because it speaks to the hearts of everyday Americans.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Diane, come on up.  Diane Black.  Thank you, Diane.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>REPRESENTATIVE BLACK:  Thank you, Mr. President.  And I want to thank all of the folks that are standing behind me because it has been a team effort.  When we talk about doing tax reform and the Tax Reform and Jobs Cut Act [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act], that is what the American people are going to benefit by.<\/p>\n<p>And as Tim has just said, it is the average American \u2014 that\u2019s the reason why we did this tax reform.  We looked at those right in the middle, those families that need the assistance and the help and the relief to be able to live their lives the way we have promised with the American Dream.<\/p>\n<p>It is such an honor to stand here with the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, who have been an integral part in making sure that this happened.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank Kevin Brady, who I know \u2014 hours and hours and hour \u2014 worked hard to make this happen in what was, really, a short period of time.<\/p>\n<p>And some of the folks that are being left out right now, and I know we\u2019ve thanked them before, but I want to thank them publicly \u2014 and that is all of the staff that has worked so hard, in both the House and the Senate to make this happen.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Now we can say \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d to the American people, because we are giving them a huge gift for Christmas \u2014 a break in these taxes and an opportunity for our jobs to grow and to give them a bigger paycheck.  And so I want to say thank you to Mr. President.  Thank you, President Trump, for allowing us to have you as our President and to make America great again.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Diane, very much.  And we can say \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d again.  People are saying \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d again, and we like the sound.<\/p>\n<p>I want to ask Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan to come up from Alaska.  They\u2019ve been really working.  And if Don Young is here \u2014 and I think he\u2019s around here.  The three of them.  Come here.  Come here.  Dan, get over here, Dan.  Lisa.<\/p>\n<p>SENATOR MURKOWSKI:  Mr. President, I don\u2019t know if you recognize \u2014 this is a very historic day, of course \u2014 but it\u2019s also the beginning of Winter Solstice.  Now it doesn\u2019t feel like it right now, but the Winter Solstice is the shortest day \u2014 the darkest day.<\/p>\n<p>And for us, in Alaska, we\u2019ve had some pretty dark days recently.  But with passage of this tax bill, with passage finally, almost 40 years later, to allow us to open up the 1002 area \u2014 this is a bright day for Alaska.  This is bright day for America.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So we thank you for that.  We thank you for that.  Think about it \u2014 31 years, we\u2019ve been working on tax reform; 38 years, now, to open up ANWR.  This has been a multigenerational fight, and I look to some of our friends from Alaska who have come 5,000 miles to be here for the vote last night and today.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>To those who live there, to those who raise their families there, and to those who are looking to live for generations, know that our promise to you, today, is a bright future; one where we care for our environment, where we care for our people, and we also care for our country in providing a resource that is needed not only by the United States, by Alaskans, but by our friends and allies.<\/p>\n<p>This, Mr. President, is what energy dominance is all about.  So let\u2019s go.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>SENATOR SULLIVAN:  Well, Mr. President, I want to thank you and your administration.  I want to thank Secretary Zinke, who\u2019s doing a great job.  But Senator Murkowski said it very well, this administration has come in and recognized this incredible, incredible resource that we have in our nation.  Developing our energy is good for jobs, it\u2019s good for energy security, it\u2019s good for manufacturing, it\u2019s good for the environment because we have the highest standards in the world, and it\u2019s very, very good for our foreign policy and national security.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. President, sir, you released your national security strategy just a couple days ago.  And in there, you talk about the economy \u2014 which is what this tax bill is all about \u2014 but you also talk about energy dominance.  And I want to thank you.  I want to thank you on behalf of all Alaskans and the American people because it\u2019s the right policy.  And we\u2019re finally, finally doing it.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, sir.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Don.<\/p>\n<p>REPRESENTATIVE YOUNG:  Thank you, Mr. President.  I want to thank all these guys standing behind me, these ladies, the people that helped me do this.  This is 37 years I tried to get this passed.  It proves one thing:  Perseverance overcomes intelligence any day of the year.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>But I want to thank the President.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Don.<\/p>\n<p>REPRESENTATIVE YOUNG:  I want to thank you, Mr. President.  And my two senators \u2014 this is a team that can\u2019t be beat.  We\u2019ll do what\u2019s right for Alaska.  This bill does what\u2019s right for this nation.  And \u201cThe Great Land\u201d will be great again.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, Mr. President.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  He\u2019s a pretty popular guy.  He\u2019s pretty good.<\/p>\n<p>I want to ask Orrin Hatch, a special friend of mine, I can tell you that.  Somebody that spoke really well of me when it wasn\u2019t exactly the easiest thing to do.  He was just always in there, always fighting for all of us, and did a fantastic job as chairman.  Orrin, say a few words, please.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>SENATOR HATCH:  Well, Mr. President, I have to say that you\u2019re living up to everything I thought you would.  You\u2019re one heck of a leader, and we\u2019re all benefitting from it.  This bill could not have passed without you.  It couldn\u2019t have passed without the Alaskan delegation.  It couldn\u2019t have passed without the leadership in the House and the Senate \u2014 Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell \u2014 and the other leaders as well.<\/p>\n<p>All I can say is, is that we\u2019re making headway.  This is just the beginning.  If you stop and think about it, this President hasn\u2019t even been in office for a year, and look at all the things that he\u2019s been able to get done \u2014 by sheer will, in many ways.<\/p>\n<p>I just hope that we all get behind him every way we can, and we\u2019ll get this country turned around in ways that will benefit the whole world, but, above all, benefit our people and bring us all to a realization of how really great America really is and how the rest of the world depends on us.<\/p>\n<p>I love this country.  I came from very humble roots.  And I have to say, that this is one of the great privileges of my life to stand here on the White House lawn with the President of the United States, who I love and appreciate so much, and with these wonderful colleagues and Cabinet members who stand behind us.<\/p>\n<p>And to see all of you and realize that you care too.  All I can say is that God loves this country.  We all know it.  We wouldn\u2019t be where we are without Him.  And we love all of you.  And we\u2019re going to keep fighting, and we\u2019re going to make this the greatest presidency that we\u2019ve seen, not only in generations, but maybe ever.<\/p>\n<p>God bless all of you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Orrin.  Thank you.  Boy, was that good.  Paul Ryan just said, \u201cHow good was that?\u201d  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Another very special man worked so hard, knows it inside out and backwards \u2014 Kevin Brady.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>REPRESENTATIVE BRADY:  Thank you.  Okay, guys.  People are getting a little \u2014 thank you, Mr. President.  This is a historic day.  It\u2019s an exciting day.  And I knew I was going to be here with you to mark this momentous occasion, so I wore my Houston Astros tie because they\u2019re still the champion of the World Series.  (Laughter.)  I figured, today, you would give me some slack on that.<\/p>\n<p>Look, this is a historic day, in so many ways, and it didn\u2019t happen just by itself.  People often ask, when did you know?  When did you know tax reform could be achieved in America for the first time in 31 years?  And my answer is always the same \u2014 November 8th, when, President Trump, you were elected President of the United States.  That\u2019s when I knew it was real.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And when you put together the great ideas on tax reform, from inside and outside Congress \u2014 and I see many of you here today with us \u2014 remarkable leadership and courage from the men and women behind me in the Senate, and especially my colleagues in the House.  When you put together remarkable leadership in the House and the Senate, the work that was done in the White House \u2014 Gary and Steve, Vice President Pence \u2014 and Mr. President, your willingness to make this your commitment to go across the country to sell the need for tax reform and then stay at the table with us and on the phone with us, to get this done.  But for your leadership, we would not be here today.  So thank you so much.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And let me finish by speaking directly to the American people.  There are three dates you need to put on your calendar.  The first is New Year\u2019s Day.  Because on New Year\u2019s, our country will have a new tax code for a new era of American prosperity \u2014 New Year\u2019s Day.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>In February, look to your paychecks.  Hard-working Americans will see the result of the hard work of this President and this Congress to make this tax reform possible.  It will show in your paychecks.<\/p>\n<p>And then, April 15th \u2014 that hated day.  (Laughter.)  This April 15th will be the last time you ever file your taxes under this horrible, broken tax code, because you\u2019ll have a new one for the future of your family and your small business.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So this is a great day for our country.  A great day for our economy and a great day for America.  Thank you, Mr.  President.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Did a fantastic job.  And another man who with us all the way \u2014 no matter when I called, he was there or he would get back within minutes \u2014 Kevin McCarthy.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>MAJORITY LEADER MCCARTHY:  To the President and Vice President: During that campaign, you listened to voices no one else was listening to.  You listened to those that were trying to get a pay raise; or that parent that was fighting for their children; or to that person who always dreamed of being an entrepreneur and creating a small business, like you did, Mr. President.  And you know what?  For all those people, you heard them.<\/p>\n<p>We would not be standing here today if it wasn\u2019t for you.  Doesn\u2019t matter if you were overseas fighting for America.  So many people back here got your phone call, fighting for tax reform.  (Laughter.)  This is a big day for America.  This is America\u2019s comeback.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Come February, check your check, because that will be the pay raise of the vote for Donald Trump.  That will be the beginning of the next century \u2014 America\u2019s century.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, and God bless.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  So I just want to conclude by saying this will indeed be a very big day when people look back at our country.  It\u2019s a whole different attitude, a whole different way.<\/p>\n<p>And I really want to end by looking back and thanking all of those people standing behind me that worked for years.  This was the culmination of a few months work, but they\u2019ve been working on getting this done \u2014 whether it\u2019s Mitch, or Paul, or Kevin, or Kevin, or Orrin \u2014 they have been working on this for years \u2014 years and years.  And I just want to turn around and I want to thank them all.  They are very, very special people.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you very much everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody, very much. And these are the people right behind me. They\u2019ve worked so long, so hard. It\u2019s been an amazing experience, I have to tell you. Hasn\u2019t been done in 34 years, but actually, really hasn\u2019t been done, because we broke every record. It\u2019s the largest \u2014 I always [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/whitehouselogo200.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}