mr. rangel is recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman.r co down and giving us this testimony. one of you congratulated chairman camp for moving in this direction. and if he were here, i would congratulate him, too. because what we are doing is keeping the idea alive. but it just seems to mth outstanding representation from some of the nation's and the world's most successful businesses, that while chairman camp has opened the door for reform, that it's going to be your responsibility to put your foot in that open door and don't let it close. it's absolutely no profile in courage for all of us to say, reduce the corporate rates and expand the base. but not my base. i came down here as a tax reformer. and believe me, earned income tax credit, low income housing credit, whatever we can do for our veterans, whatever it is, we have allowed probably a half a trillion dollars to get involved in what they call extenders. anyone here doesn't know what the extenders are? those tax revisions that expire? or at least we say they're going to expire? and all they want to do is to get them i

mr. rangel suggested, tax reform in 19860 cured after ronald reagan came in in 1981 and played golf with tip o'neill for five years. and it was before the global economy had really taken hold. so we're talking about a new world that we're trying to reform rather than the one they were reforming in 1980. give me your views of what we should do? what are the things that are most important that you're willing to give up or shift off on to somebody else. yes? >> congressman mcdermott, we looked at the joint committee on taxation's revenue estimate from october, and we looked at the provisions that they estimated and scored in terms of base broadening. they represented 2$209 billion out of the total tax expendit e expenditurexpenditur expenditures. so it was only 40% that they actually scored. there was another $185 billion of corporate tax expenditures that they had not yet estimated. so i'm actually relatively optimistic that when you really take a hard look, that you can get down to 28% and even possibly 25%. i look at the 1986 tax reform act, and i look at the base broadening that occurre

mr. rangel: mr. speaker, i came to this empty chamber to discuss the issues of job and also the unemployment compensation extension as well as taxes. but as i neared the well i heard one of our esteemed members condemning the president for persecuting religion. in a very broad and general way, and then later more specifically in talking about the roman catholic church. and it would seem to me that in a place like the united states of america which was fuelly formed on the bay significance of freedom -- basis of freedom of religion that such a serious accusation against the president of these united states should not be to an empty chamber. this is such a serious allegation that it would seem to me that it requires and demands a bipartisan view to see exactly what the church's or religious leaders' complaints are because i have one, too. that is at a time where this country is facing fiscal as well as moral obligation to the most vulnerable people among us, i see the battle between the have and have-n

mr. rangel: i think i have some good news. most americans believe that when the congress does not do what it wants to happen that they can wait until election day and then they remind us that we didn't -- we let them down. . certainly i remember when this unemployment compensation and the holiday for taxpayers as well as the payment of our doctors was coming on a couple years ago and it was almost christmas time. and democrats really thought that because of republican majority and because they just felt that unemployed people getting compensation, that they wouldn't look for work, or that they weren't paying enough taxes or that they didn't want to deal with the question of the doctors, but still after all of this battle, when the american people spoke up, they didn't wait until election day. they got on the phone. they called their house members, republicans and democrats. they called everybody to say that they could not afford a sharp increase in their payroll deductions. and so do it again, because it really works. you got

mr. rangel: thank you, mr. speaker. today, members of congress -- today members of congress and others will see 1,000 women of color listening all of our office, they call themselves the delta sorority. and here in the leadership is provided by judge fudge as they come close to celebrating their 100th anniversary. they have a legislative agenda, a community agenda, a civic agenda, and one of the things they like to point out is that today we recognize the terrible epidemic of aids and i.v. problems we have with blood. we hope that we learn to educate more people about the danger of aids. that we provide better treatment. and even better than that, that we avoid it by having preventive measures so it doesn't happen at all. also on their agenda is making certain that the payroll deductions for working poor people are extended. that unemployment compensation is not only fiscally but morally the right thing to do. and we pay our debts, pay the doctors that serve the aged. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of

mr. rangel mr. pascrell, mr. capuano and ms. pingree. mr. speaker, i represent the last 70 miles of eastern long island where the primary industries are travel and tourism, everything to do with the second home market, agriculture and the fishing industry. thus, in my district, the environment is the economy in many respects. it can ill afford a disaster like gulf coast states endured during the deepwater horizon spill in 2010. oil-soaked beaches would devastate long island's economy, let alone the environment, and there is no reasonable person who can disagree with me on this point. the republican drilling proposals to offset the highway bill would raise less than $4.3 billion over 10 years, according to c.b.o. or less than .1 of the revenue actually needed. combine this with the other funding mechanisms for the highway bill and republicans are paying for their reckless legislation on the backs of middle-class families. for example, the republicans' spending package would require federal employees to increase their pension contributions whi

mr. rangel is recognized. >> they cue, missed a share.they all of you for coming down to give us this testimony. what you congratulate the chairman for moving in this direction. i want to congratulate you. "we are doing is keeping the idea alive . but it just seems to me with the outstanding representation from some of the world's most successful businesses that while the chairman has opened the door for reform, it is going to be your responsibility to put your foot in that open door and not let it closed. if absolutely no profile for all of us to say, reduced the corporate rate and expand the base. but not my base. i came down here as a tax reformer. believe me, a tax credit, income housing credit, whenever we could do for our veterans, whenever this, we have allowed probably a half a trillion dollars to get involved and what they call expenditures. anyone know what that is? those text divisions that expire tomorrow least we say there going to expire, and all their want to do is get them in the code. someone said seeing tax law made it i

we have house members, charlie rangel, democrat from new york and sean duffy, republican from wisconsin and the sponsor of the pay freeze bill. mr. sean duffy, let me start with you, 16% overall spread between federal government union workers and private counterparts. >> sure. >> cash wages, not so big. 2%, and on the other hand, benefits up 48%. that is an off the charts outrage as everybody in america tries to tighten their belt. what, if anything, can you do about this, sean? >> so here's what we're doing. we're in the midst of a two-year pay freeze that the democrats passed in the past congress. this zannex is an extension of the pay freeze. we have american taxpayers, payer who have taken cuts in pay, those who have reduced work hours and we'll ask for those private sector employees to pay for a federal government increase in pay, and we'll continue the pay freeze and bring more parody. >> charlie rangel, besides the wage fay freeze, what about the benefits? 48% better benefits if you work for the federal government. >> i thought you were bringing me out to talk about the republican debates and all of that, but since you wa