House tax bill exempts first $24,000, Higgins says

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Third District Representative Clay Higgins was in Crowley on Monday for a day-long series of events that he began with a speaking engagement at the Rice Palace.
Higgins touched on many of the issues facing Americans today and also addressed some of the recent issues that have been discussed on talk radio and the 24/7 news networks.
Tax bill
“They are trying to do the same thing with this bill that they did to the health care bill,” said Higgins. “They are saying that they’re cutting taxes for the rich and that they are raising them for the poorer citizens. The House of Representatives has already put together a tax bill that just hasn’t been approved by the Senate. They each want to be able to say that their name is on it and that they’re (each Senator) smarter than all the representatives. They keep saying on the fake news that we are trying to raise taxes on our poorest Americans and giving money to corporations.
“These corporations are people,” said Higgins. “The poorest people will not pay taxes on their first $24,000 in our tax plan. And that’s how we will win favor for our bill.
“And for any businesses we will lower your taxes more than what they were before.”
National Flood Insurance Program
“Our office has been asked to write the bill because of the skill of my staff that I have been blessed with,” he said. “Flooding is universally predictable. It has less to do with sea level than it has to do with water management and control. With the National Flood Insurance Program money is supposed to be distributed equally and fairly. Louisiana has the highest rate of complaints.
“Under the current system if a person has their home flooded twice in a year they will be dropped by their insurance,” said Higgins. “We think that if you own a home that has been recognized as having the ‘certified flood elevation’ that your home should be recognized for being so.”
Higgins stated that the person he works with in the House, is Congressman Jeb Hensarling.
“He has been wonderful,” said Higgins. “He’s very receptive to me which I appreciate because I respect seniority and he could just tell me to wait until I have some experience before I use my ideas. I want to sign off on his health care but I want to wait until some wrinkles are ironed out. And the elevation level is a ‘big wrinkle’.”
On NFL players and the national anthem
“Until the NFL takes a better stand against these players (who aren’t standing during national anthem) I’m done with the NFL,” said Higgins.
Health care
When it was apparently time for his speech to shift to health care, Higgins stated that he didn’t want to discuss it because the meeting was running long and he gets “too animated.”
However, it was apparently very tough for the emotional congressman to not discuss, albeit briefly.
“The plan in the U.S. right now is that some people just won’t have options with their health care,” he said. “We are paying for health care that we will never use. We have a powerful Senate that will not give up. A powerful president that will not give up.”
Higgins said that he’s heard two rumors he wanted to dispel.
“I am not running for governor, senator or sheriff in any of the upcoming elections,” he said. “I have signed a contract with the citizens of the district that I intend to honor.
“And also, I’ve heard rumors that I sleep on the floor of my office every night,” said Higgins. “That’s not true. I’ve been sleeping on the mattresses in that office. I’ve been sleeping on every mattress on the floor of that office and I will work those extra hours to represent the citizens of my district as long as it takes.”

From left, Crowley Chamber of Commerce President Amy Thibodeaux, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins and State Rep. John Stefanski at the Rice Palace. (Photo by Howie Dennis/Crowley Post-Signal)