Ryan to give ‘major’ tax reform speech

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) plans to give a “major” speech on tax reform Tuesday as he and other congressional leaders work with the White House to develop a unified tax plan, his office said.

Ryan is not expected to describe the details of a tax bill during the speech but “will talk about what tax reform looks like, not just the benefits,” the Speaker’s office said.

Ryan will give the speech at the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) summit in Washington. The group’s president and CEO, Jay Timmons, is expected to moderate a question-and-answer session with Ryan after the speech.

Ryan will deliver the speech just ahead of the one-year anniversary of the release of House Republicans’ tax-reform blueprint. 

The blueprint, which was part of Ryan’s “Better Way” agenda, has served as a starting point for the tax-reform discussions that heated up after President Trump won the 2016 election. But portions of it, including its border-adjustment provision to tax imports and exempt exports, have received pushback from business leaders and some Republican lawmakers.

In recent weeks, Ryan, other congressional leaders on tax reform and members of Trump’s economic team have met several times in an effort to reach an agreement on tax reform. Lawmakers and administration officials have said they want to pass tax-reform legislation this year.

Ryan’s office said that Tuesday’s speech is the speaker’s first big address on the need for tax reform this year. He previously spoke about the need for tax reform at a roundtable with business leaders in Ohio in May.

Ryan is not the only high-profile speaker expected at NAM’s summit. Vice President Pence is also set to speak at the event on Tuesday, while House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta are scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

NAM said that the focuses of its summit will be tax reform, regulatory reform, infrastructure and workforce development.