The Real Faces of Tax Reform

On Wednesday, Lancaster resident Bryant Glick (pictured above) and his family were invited by President Trump to participate in a tax reform event at The White House. Bryant and his family are just some of the many faces of tax reform in our community.

During his speech at The White House, Bryant said “we are greatly excited about this. With the tax savings we are going to see, we are going to put that money into home renovations.” Bryant and his family are exactly the type of people we are trying to help with our tax reform plan. His family will be able to use the new, increased standard deduction and will get a larger child tax credit for their two children (and another on the way)! You can watch Bryant speak at The White House here.

You can also read about how our tax reform will help small businesses, as Cinthia Kettering (a small business owner in our community) highlighted in this week’s LNP here. You can also learn more about our tax reform plan here, and send me your feedback on this legislation here.

Working for Military Men and Women

America’s military is made up of hardworking men and women who wake up every day to serve others. We should be making it easier for them to transition to civilian life. That’s why I am so glad President Trump signed legislation into law that included my bipartisan amendment that would expand apprenticeship opportunities to any member of our uniformed services.

Before this legislation was signed into law, the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) was only available to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. That’s less than half of our uniformed service members. My bipartisan amendment opens up USMAP to include the Army, Air Force, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Public Health Services. It will help these individuals transition to civilian life with a steady job, and infuse our workforce with the strong leadership skills the military provides.

You can watch my floor speech on this important bill here, and read more about it here. 

Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Higher Education Act — a pillar of his domestic agenda intended to “strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education.” Preparing our students to be successful in life continues to be a worthy goal we should all strive to achieve.

More than five decades later, federal aid programs are a chaotic maze full of outdated requirements and red tape that have driven up the cost of college and make postsecondary education too difficult to access for too many people. Meanwhile, more jobs today require postsecondary credentials or technical skills to fill these good-paying, family-sustaining jobs. Reforms are crucial to ensuring our higher education system is preparing the next generation of high-skilled workers to succeed in a 21st-century economy. 

Last week, the House Education and the Workforce Committee debated and passed the PROSPER Act – legislation that will reform the college marketplace by promoting innovation, access, and completion; improving federal student aid; empowering students and families to make informed decisions; and ensuring strong accountability and a limited federal role.

The committee also unanimously agreed to my amendment that will help colleges and universities combat the opioid epidemic that has swept across Pennsylvania and the nation. You can read about my amendment here.

But the process is still ongoing. I encourage you to read more about this legislation, including summaries and the bill text, here. Please feel free to share your feedback with me here, or call my office at 202-225-2411. You can also read my recent column in LNP about this legislation here.

State Champs!

I recently went to the House floor to congratulate the Penn Manor field hockey team on its 2017 state championship victory!

It was a remarkable season for these young women. The state championship victory capped off a perfect 28-0 season – and 23 of those wins were shutouts. The team scored 148 goals and only allowed five! 

But what’s also special about this team is their combined GPA of 3.63. This achievement speaks volumes about the team, their coaches, and their parents – because success like this isn’t achieved alone. I couldn’t be prouder to represent these young women, and I look forward to the continued success of this program. 

Congratulations to the Penn Manor field hockey team, the coaches, their families, and the faculty, staff, and students that helped make this championship possible! You can watch my floor speech here.