Roskam at National Journal Policy Summit on Fiscal Cliff and Tax Reform

Statement

Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06) joined the National Journal Policy Summit, "On the Edge: Navigating America's Looming Fiscal Cliff" where he addressed the fiscal challenges facing the U.S. and Republican solutions for preventing the fiscal cliff:

Roskam on Tax Hikes Hitting Small Businesses

"I think there's a very strong argument that look, particularly as it relates to pass-throughs, if you raise these taxes at the individual level, we've got manufacturers out in suburban Chicago that I represent…and it's going to have an adverse impact on their willingness to take on more risk, take on more employees and to do the type of expansion that everybody recognizes is necessary. So there's a false argument that's out there that says this is somehow cutting taxes. No, it's not cutting taxes on anybody. Right now we are trying to avert the largest tax increase in American history."

Roskam on Generating Revenue Without Raising Taxes

"But somehow this notion that the only way to get more revenue for the federal government is by raising taxes, is a choice that we don't think is robust, and historically it has been one that people have come to only reluctantly. And so we're saying, "Look, good news, if we both agree there's reluctance to raise taxes, then let's not go there as the first place and let's explore every other equal opportunity.' We think there is an opportunity to look at this growth model."

Roskam on Comprehensive Tax Reform

"There's nobody, there is no voice today that is out defending the status quo as relates to the current tax code. So if you take that attitude and you look now at what the Ways and Means Committee has done over the past 18 months; Dave Camp gaveled together a series of meetings and hearings and a wide ranging discussion. And if you were to distill down into a single word, the theme of those hearings…that is competitiveness."

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