House panel to kick off tax reform hearings next week

The House Ways and Means Committee is slated to begin holding tax-reform hearings next week, as the panel works to produce legislation that GOP lawmakers hope to pass this year.

Committee Republicans announced in a news release Thursday that the panel will hold a hearing on May 18 about “how tax reform will grow our economy and create jobs across America.”

The White House and congressional Republicans want to get a tax bill enacted in 2017, and the Ways and Means Committee is leading efforts on the issue in the House.

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“Our hearing is an important step forward as we work with President Trump and our Senate colleagues on delivering historic pro-growth tax reform for the first time in 30 years,” Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said.

Some lawmakers and conservative figures have floated the idea of passing temporary tax cuts or passing an initial tax bill focused on businesses. But Brady and Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) stressed that they want tax reform to be comprehensive.

“I’m looking forward to discussing how comprehensive, permanent tax reform can grow the economy and help create jobs here in the United States,” Roskam said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tweeted his support for the hearing.

I applaud @RepKevinBrady @PeterRoskam for calling hearings to emphasize economic growth & job creation as key goals of tax reform.

— Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) May 11, 2017

Brady has said in the past that he intends to hold a series of hearings on tax reform. Witnesses for the May 18 hearing will be announced next week, according to a committee spokeswoman.

– updated at 2:40 p.m.