House May Pass Partisan Tax Reform Plan

House Republicans have indicated that, if necessary, they may pass tax reform legislation with little or no support from House Democrats, according to a June 18 article in The Hill.

One key difference between the two parties is whether tax reform legislation should raise new revenues overall, as Democrats would prefer, or be revenue-neutral, as Republicans would prefer.

“I’m meeting with every Democrat on my committee. Many of them say they would like to see more revenue. And I just say: ‘Look, let’s not go to our corners,’” House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) told The Hill. “I don’t think it’s productive to focus on where we disagree.”

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) said that four or five of the 16 Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee may vote for a revenue-neutral bill, but he would not be one of them. Camp has said he hopes his committee will pass legislation by the end of this year.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has indicated that he believes tax reform should raise revenue but has not committed to a specific amount. Camp and Baucus are planning to travel across the country sell the public on the need for tax reform.

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You can't change Tax Policy just for the sake of being revenue neutral without shifting the burden to some other segment of society.