Dozens of House members promote tax bills at hearing

A bipartisan group of more than 30 lawmakers touted their tax bills at a House panel’s member day on tax legislation.

The bills members discussed at the House Ways and Means tax policy subcommittee hearing addressed a variety of tax issues — including those relating to energy, manufacturing, boosting savings, student-loan forgiveness and brewers and distillers. House members on and off the Ways and Means Committee spoke at the hearing, and many of the bills discussed have bipartisan support.

Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) called the hearing “an important step in fulfilling our commitment to creating opportunities for legislators to be legislators when it comes to tax ideas.”

“We’re committed to introducing bills, considering them and moving them to the floor,” Brady added.

The hearing focused on changes to the current tax code, but it came as House Republicans are aiming to release a tax-reform blueprint this summer. Earlier this year, the tax-policy subcommittee held hearings on several members’ consumption tax and income tax reform proposals.

Subcommittee Chairman Charles Boustany (R-La.) said he was encouraged “that so many of our fellow members of the House of Representatives have come here today to make a record of their priorities for making improvements to our current tax code.”

Boustany himself promoted four bills: on protections for companies affected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s international tax recommendations, healthcare relief for small businesses, the tax treatment of timber and the historic tax credit. 

The ranking member of the subcommittee, Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), said that historically about 25 percent of bills introduced in the House fall under the Ways and Means Committee’s jurisdiction, and more than half of those bills are tax bills.

“We remain the gatekeepers of this house,” Neal said. “As such, we must make sure that we scrutinize every piece of legislation put forward to ensure only that the best ideas move forward.” 

Neal also called for the committee to act on bills and not just hold hearings on them. He said he hopes the committee will take action to boost retirement security and help the economy and workers.