{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://rokita.house.gov/editorial/11-17-2017-rokita-report", "11-17-2017 Rokita Report", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\nThank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 115th Congress.\u00a0 I trust this finds you and your family well, as we work together to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington.\nFor daily updates, please take a moment to \"Like\" my Facebook page by clicking here \u00a0or follow me on Twitter if you prefer \u00a0@ToddRokita.\n   In this week's Rokita Report \n Tax Reform Passes the House\nStrong Support for Tax Reform\nCelebrating\u00a0Veterans Day\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n   Tax Reform is a\u00a0Win\u00a0for Hoosiers\nOn Thursday, the House passed H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.\u00a0 This bill is\u00a0about the middle class and helping elevate ordinary American families.\u00a0 The proposed reforms would lift Indiana's economy and create 20,000 new jobs in the next decade.\u00a0 Middle-class families in Indiana will have their after-tax income lifted by $2,468.\nThe last time we rewrote the tax code was in 1986.\u00a0 Since then, thousands of amendments have been issued and created a patchwork that favors the politically connected.\u00a0 This bill offers real reforms and wins including:\n Saving the average family of four over $1,000 a year.\nSimplifying the tax code, so that for the 2018 year most families could file on a postcard.\nDoubling the standard deduction that most Hoosiers rely on.\nLowering the individual tax rates for low and middle-income Americans.\nCreating a new Family Credit expanding\u00a0the child tax credit to $1,600.\u00a0 Nearly 60,000 residents of the 4th Congressional District claim this credit.\nRepealing the death tax that burdens family businesses and farms.\nExpanding 529 education plans for K-12 education to help parents choose the best school for their kids.\nAllowing business to expand by immediately writing off the cost of new equipment.\nReducing the tax rate for small businesses to the lowest rate since World War II.\n Getting to this point has been an open and cooperative process.\u00a0 Last year, House Republicans unveiled the Better Way policy agenda on tax reform.\u00a0 Earlier this year, frameworks were released by the House and the President.\u00a0 In September, the House, Senate, and President Trump released a unified framework that underlined our shared goals for tax reforms.\u00a0 The House used this framework to write our legislation.\nI have expressed support\u00a0for additional efforts to make the bill even better.\u00a0 I joined with my Republican Study Committee colleagues to call for using this as a chance to end the Individual Mandate, which forces Hoosiers to buy health insurance and the repeal of which would save the government over $300 billion in ten years.\u00a0 I wrote to Ways and Means\u00a0Chairman Kevin Brady asking that he keep the adoption tax credit because it allows middle and low-income Americans to choose life and I am pleased that it was restored in\u00a0the bill that\u00a0passed the House on Thursday.\nAfter passing the House, tax reform will be considered by the Senate.\u00a0 When both the House and Senate pass the same bill, the legislation will head to President Trump's desk for his signature.\n  Strong Support for Tax Reform\nThe House's tax reform bill has the support of major free market advocacy organizations\u00a0and job creators including:\n American Farm Bureau Federation\nAmericans for Tax Reform (ATR)\nAssociated Builders and Contractors (ABC)\nBusiness Roundtable\nFamily Research Council (FRC)\nFreedomworks\nNational Association of Manufacturers (NAM)\nNational Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)\nNucor Steel Corporation\nU.S. Chamber of Commerce\n It's important to hear from Hoosier job creators and their national organizations on this bill.\u00a0 Last week, Vice President Mike Pence was back in Indiana to pitch the Republican plan to overhaul the tax code at TKO Graphix in Plainfield.\u00a0 I was at TKO Graphix in October to receive the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Spirit of Enterprise award for my support of pro-growth, pro-jobs legislation.\n  Celebrating Veterans Day\nSaturday was Veterans Day, but ceremonies in Indiana were held throughout the long\u00a0weekend.\u00a0 It was an honor to attend the \"Celebration of Veterans\" in\u00a0Lafayette.\u00a0 The event included lunch, remarks, and performances at the Thomas Duncan Hall.\u00a0 It was great to recognize some local\u00a0Hoosier veterans and heroes.\nAttending Lafayette's \"Celebration of Veterans\" I thanked many of our servicemembers and their families for their sacrifices.\nIn addition to the Lafayette celebration, Team Rokita attended several\u00a0events across Indiana's 4th Congressional district.\u00a0 We\u00a0attended ceremonies in\u00a0Carroll County, Cass County, Hendricks County, Jasper County, and Morgan County.\u00a0 All of us were honored to attend these events on behalf of all Hoosiers.\nI \u00a0also shared a message about the importance of Veterans Day and why we must recognize the sacrifices that our servicemembers and their families make with local newspapers including the Hendricks County Flyer.\u00a0 Did you know that this year alone Blue Star Mothers, an organization consisting of the mothers of servicemembers, have already sent more than 137,000 letters to members of our armed forces, and sent almost 75,000 care packages?\u00a0 That's the dedication that a mother's love will\u00a0bring.\n  Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington. Take care.\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\tSincerely,    \n\t\t\t\t\tTodd Rokita", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://rokita.house.gov/editorial/11-17-2017-rokita-report"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5330070164054632, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}