Letter to Chairman David Camp, Committee on Ways and Means - Tax Reform Must Be Product of Bipartisanship in House

Letter

Ways and Means Committee Democrats are urging Chairman Dave Camp to craft tax reform legislation in a bipartisan manner in the House, noting that the recent shutdown and near default only further underscores the fact that tax reform will not succeed if Republicans go it alone. All 16 Democrats on the panel made that point in a letter to Chairman Camp this week. A PDF copy of the letter is here, with text below:

Chairman Dave Camp
Committee on Ways and Means
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Camp:

The recent government shutdown and a near default ground our legislative system to a halt and undermined the confidence of the American people in their government. For this reason, we renew our call to work in a bipartisan manner to craft thoughtful tax reform legislation.

Comprehensive tax reform must be the product of a bipartisan process. The Tax Reform Working Groups set the Committee off to a good start, and began the process of Republican and Democratic Members on the Committee digging into the substance of current law. The next step is to discuss tax reform legislation together.

We acknowledge that our approaches to tax reform have significant differences. We believe that everyone should pay their fair share of taxes. For example, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that lowering the top individual and corporate tax rates to 25 percent and eliminating the alternative minimum tax, as proposed in the House-passed budget, would cost more than $5 trillion. In setting any rate, it is vital to determine what effective policies should be reflected in our tax code.

The last three weeks have made it clear that the only path for passage of comprehensive legislation in the House is one that garners a governing majority through Republican and Democratic votes. In order to make the difficult task of tax reform a reality, it is essential to sit down and earnestly discuss tax policies that will strengthen American families and enhance U.S. competitiveness.

Sincerely,

Ways and Means Committee Democrats