Hatch Lays Out Path Ahead on Tax Reform
"I've been working on tax reform for more than six years now, and this is the first time that we've had anything approaching this level of unity across the various chambers and branches of government," Hatch said. "...The
Hatch continued, "We have a number of great members on the
The full remarks as submitted to the Congressional Record:
Last week, I joined the
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the joint statement be included in the record at the conclusion of my remarks.
Since the statement's release, critics and naysayers have said quite a bit, some even going so far as to declare their opposition to the statement. That, Mr. President, is a little odd, given that the statement is not a bill or a tax plan, it is simply a statement of agreed upon principles for tax reform.
That's not to say it was insignificant. Quite the opposite, in fact. The joint statement is an important development in the overall tax reform effort for several reasons.
For example, over the past several months, the favored tax reform narrative among some in the pundit class has been that
Some of that was, to use an outdated description, pure poppycock.
When the administration puts out a framework that calls for a 15 percent corporate tax rate while the House Blueprint has a 20 percent rate target, that's not really a disagreement. Both sides want to lower the corporate rate significantly, and the general idea in both cases is to reduce the rate as much as is reasonably possible.
But, admittedly, there were some key differences of opinion. And, at the outset of this
However, with last week's release of the joint statement, the leaders in this effort - in both congressional chambers and in the executive branch - have declared that, as of now, we are singing off the same song sheet. There are, of course, details that will need to be worked out, but all parties are in agreement on the key principles and have enough confidence that the process can move forward in
That's very significant, Mr. President. I've been working on tax reform for more than six years now, and this is the first time that we've had anything approaching this level of unity across the various chambers and branches of government.
Another significant marker in the joint statement is the agreement that the tax-writing committees will do the lion's share of the work in producing the actual tax reform legislation and that the leaders are committed to moving through regular order, by which I mean committee markup processes prior to floor consideration.
This is key, Mr. President, because one of the criticisms I've heard about
Outside groups, some overtly aligned with the
Mr. President, it is simply not the case that a bill is being drafted behind closed doors. It was never going to be the case - I've stated several times in recent months that I intended to have a robust and transparent process for tax reform in the
The
We have a number of great members on the
The joint statement also noted that Republican leaders hoped that our Democratic colleagues would be willing to participate in this effort. That should be no surprise. I've been calling on my Democrat friends to work with us on tax reform for months, even years. For months now, I've come to the floor on multiple occasions to ask my Democratic friends to come to the table.
I held a bipartisan hearing on tax reform in the
Earlier this week, the committee had another bipartisan hearing, this one on affordable housing. Of course most of the federal affordable housing incentives are found in the tax code, meaning that issue will undoubtedly be part of the larger discussion.
These hearings are just the latest in very long line of bipartisan, tax-related hearings in the
So, there really shouldn't be any doubt that when I sign onto a statement that includes a call for bipartisanship, the call is both serious and sincere.
In addition, there is quite a bit of bipartisan agreement over the policy principles noted in joint statement.
As I said here on the floor just a few weeks ago, a number of
Prominent
Both of these concepts are prominently mentioned in our joint statement.
The statement also talks about tax relief for middle-class families and reduced burdens on small businesses.
So, long story short, Mr. President, there is nothing in the statement, either in terms of process or policy that should discourage a number of
Yet, earlier this week, every member of the
First and foremost, my colleagues demanded in their letter that
That has been a precondition for Democratic involvement in this effort for months now, among other demands unrelated to tax reform, and, as I've said many times, it's preposterous. The demand that
If
On top of that, if reconciliation remains on the table, why would that stop
Obviously, budget reconciliation gives the majority the tools it needs to move legislation - under specified rules and conditions - without the threat of a filibuster. But, nothing in the rules requires reconciliation to be partisan. In fact, historically speaking, tax bills moved through reconciliation tend to get bipartisan support. For example, the so-called Bush Tax Cuts of 2001 and 2003 were passed through reconciliation, yet there were both
And recent history shows that working together on the substance of policy is not precluded by the existence of a reconciliation instruction.
In 2009, with a reconciliation instruction in place,
In 2013, with a
Yet, now, our friends on the other side are critical of us when we follow the path they themselves took. They are insisting that we do what they would not do when similarly situated. And they are not participating on the same constructive basis we did when we were in their place. From their leader on down, they act as if the past does not exist or that we are ignorant of it. Before applying too clever a rhetorical lash to those on this side, my friends on the other side should heed the advice of
If
Ideally, the tax reform process would be bipartisan, particularly here in the
In a perfect world, reconciliation would not be necessary.
But, for that to happen, the
I hope that what we're seeing is posturing.
I hope that my Democratic colleagues will recognize the significance of the unity expressed in last week's joint statement and get on board for what will hopefully be a historic effort.
If they do not,
The Majority Leader has indicated that he's willing to go that way. I'm willing to go that way as well.
However, to get us to the point, a number of things have to happen, not the least of which is the passage of budget resolution. For now, I'm focusing on the substantive policies and proposals and I will keep working with my colleagues on the
Read this original document at: https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/hatch-lays-out-path-ahead-on-tax-reform
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