Pathway to Job Creation Through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WOODALL. I thank the chairman for yielding.

I want to say to you, as I said to you in the Rules Committee yesterday, how much I appreciate your leadership on fundamental tax reform.

I've been watching this body for 20 years, and I think some of the criticisms of my friends on the Democratic side were right on target. A lot of lip service has been paid to doing it, but the action has not happened. But what you have been able to accomplish in your committee in 18 months truly makes me believe that fundamental tax reform is now right around the corner for all Americans, and I'm grateful to you for your work there.

I had two questions about the bill that's before us today, this expedited procedures bill. It does lay out a framework, but it seems to me to lay out a framework that is broad enough that we will have a robust discussion about how to bring and what to bring in terms of fundamental tax reform to the floor.

Do you view this framework as one that is broad enough to have a full discussion on fundamental tax reform?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WOODALL. I thank the chairman. And I know that in the Ways and Means Committee you will always have a robust debate. As you know, I'm a big fan of the Fair Tax proposal. I thank my colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle for mentioning it earlier. I hope it made it out across the airwaves. But even if we can't all win in terms of our different ideas, America will win in the end if fundamental tax reform is passed. But lots of those competing ideas, even as only one idea, can be certified within this framework to begin in your committee, you view even after that introduction, that certification by the Joint Tax Committee, a full and robust discussion that would include ideas like consumption taxes in your committee.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source