HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN CAMP'S STATEMENT ON THE U.S. TAX CODE

 FROM: U.S.  HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN DAVE CAMP 

"Every April when I file my taxes, I can’t help but stop and think: there is no better example of Washington inefficiency and ineffectiveness than the tax code.   The tax code is too complicated, takes too much time to comply with and it certainly costs too much.

Yet, some in Washington think taxes need to be even higher.  At a time when we’re all paying more for gas, more for groceries and more for health care, the last thing we need is to pay more to Washington.  

It's time to stand up and say 'enough is enough.'  Washington needs to live within its means, and make the tax code simpler and fairer so our economy gets stronger, more jobs are created and paychecks start going up again.  We’ve already lost a decade due to how weak the economy is, and before we lose a generation, it’s time for real, meaningful tax reform to get this economy back on track.

Earlier this year I released a blueprint for tax reform that does just that.   The non-partisan experts have looked at my bill, and they say it would grow the economy by over $1 trillion.  That means an extra $1,300 in the pockets of average families.

My draft makes the tax code more effective and efficient by getting rid of special interest handouts to lower tax rates for individuals, families and businesses.

We make the tax code so simple, that 95 percent of taxpayers get the lowest possible tax rate by simply claiming the standard deduction – no more gathering all those receipts and filling out all those forms.

This will not only help families, but it will help large and small businesses alike expand, hire new workers and increase benefits and take home pay for American workers.

So this year, as you fill out your taxes, think about what it would be like if you only had to fill out one form.  And on top of that, think about what it would be like if you could trust that Washington wouldn’t waste your hard-earned money."

CONGRESSMAN CAMP COMMENTS ON BUDGET VOTE

FROM:  CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP, CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE 

On December 12, the House of Representatives passed, with a bipartisan vote, H.J.Res. 59, the two-year budget compromise negotiated by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA).  H.J.Res.59 reduces the deficit by approximately $23 billion without raising taxes.    

Following the vote Camp said, “Today, I joined in a bipartisan vote for a two year budget that reduces the deficit and includes reductions in mandatory spending without raising taxes.  This will give Congress the opportunity to work on serious solutions, like tax reform, to strengthen the economy so job creators can grow, hire and increase wages and address our long-term debt crisis.”

CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP REPORTS ASIAN CARP FOUND NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN ACCESS RIVER

FROM:  U.S. CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP'S WEBSITE 

Last week, Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the White House Council on Environmental Quality Asian carp director John Goss recently told a group in Milwaukee that a 53 inch, 82 pound Asian carp had been found in Flatfoot Lake, Illinois in August.  Flatfoot Lake is land-locked, but located less than a quarter mile from the Calumet River, which has direct access to Lake Michigan as well as Lake Calumet, where a live Asian carp was discovered in 2010.

Following the report Camp said, “News that a live Asian carp was found dangerously close to Lake Michigan, in Flatfoot Lake, is another reminder that we must find a permanent solution to protect the Great Lakes.  Incidents like this underscore the fact that hydrological separation is the only real way to keep Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes.”

On the topic, The Lansing State Journal wrote, “Kudos to Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, and other Michigan officials for their ongoing efforts to prevent the potential crisis of an Asian carp invasion of the Great Lakes. They fight an uphill battle, and Michiganders should support their efforts in every way possible.”

In  2012, Camp championed legislation that is now law, The Stop Invasive Species Act, which requires the Army Corps of Engineers to complete a study on hydrologically separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins by January 2014.

DAVE CAMP CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE COMMENTS ON "LOOMING TAX HIKE"

FROM: CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
Last week in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Dave Camp (R-Midland) led the charge to stop the looming tax hike scheduled to go in effect on January 1, 2013. In a strong bipartisan vote, the House passed Camp’s H.R. 8, the Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012, which extends current tax rates for all taxpayers and prevents a $4 trillion tax increase on all taxpayers - American families and small businesses alike. During the debate Camp said the need to stop the tax hike is a choice. Congress must choose between adopting a proposal that would raise taxes and, according to an Ernst & Young analysis, destroy 710,000 jobs or stopping the tax hike and enacting tax reform that, when paired with fiscal restraint, will spur the creation of a million new jobs.


The House also voted on H.R. 6169, the Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012. The legislation, which was sponsored by Camp, lays out bipartisan principles for comprehensive tax reform and provides an expedited process in the House and Senate for consideration of tax reform legislation in 2013. We all know the current tax code is too costly, too complex and too time-consuming. Since 2001, there have been almost 4,500 changes to the tax code. This complexity causes 9 out of 10 families to either hire a tax preparer or buy tax preparation software forcing individuals, families and employers to spend over six billion hours and $160 billion a year in compliance costs according to the National Taxpayer Advocate. Through comprehensive tax reform families and employers will get some long-overdue and much-needed relief and put America on a path for sustained economic growth and job creation.
　

DAVE CAMP, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE CALLS FOR LESS SPENDING, GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY

FROM:  CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP’S NEWSLETTER
April 17, 2012
Highlights from the House: Highlights from the House: Camp Calls for Less Spending, Greater Accountability & Comprehensive Tax Reform
Congressman Dave Camp met with constituents across Michigan’s Fourth District last week to listen first hand to their concerns. Camp answered questions about how economic uncertainty continues to dampen the nation’s economic recovery. Residents agreed with  Congressman Camp’s plan to advance comprehensive tax reform to restore economic growth and job opportunities for hardworking Americans. Coupled with tax reform, Washington must be held accountable for the use of taxpayer dollars  rein in out-of-control federal spending, which remains a significant threat to America’s economic future. AsCBS recently reported, the national debt has now increased more during President Obama's three years and two months in office than it did during George W. Bush’s presidency.

With spending and debt at record levels, it is no wonder that more than three-quarters of Americans believe the country is still in a recession. Historically, Small businesses have led the country out of recessions.  Congressman Camp knows their recovery plays a key role to unlocking job growth and getting Americans back to work.

A recent survey shows that with taxes due tonight, cash-strapped small businesses are putting their scarce resources towards tax compliance, rather than growth and hiring. The good news is: the Senate rejected a tax hike yesterday. The better news is: Camp is leading House Republicans in tax reform efforts to boost small business job creation. On Thursday, the House will vote on Camp’s Small Business Tax Cut Act (H.R. 9) to give small businesses a 20% tax deduction. A Fiscal Associates study shows the Small Business Tax Cut with help create more than 100,000 new jobs a year once fully in place, directly benefitting 22 million small businesses. The president has called small businesses the "anchors of our Main Streets" hopefully he and will join the House to provide lower taxes and higher growth to America’s job creators.

CONGRESSMAN CAMP SAYS "ONLY 120,000 JOBS ADDED IN MARCH"

FROM:  HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP’S WEBSITE
On Friday, the Labor Department announced only 120,000 jobs were added in March, after an increase of 227,000 in February, and worse, there were still a large number of discouraged workers who left the labor force. Friday's numbers confirmed March recorded the fewest jobs added in five months. Congressman Camp knows this level of growth is not enough to restore economic security or make a difference for the millions of Americans who are unemployed. He is committed to working on pro-growth policies to bring certainty and opportunity to the economy. As the nation witnessed last week, it is possible for Republicans and Democrats to set aside differences with the signing of the JOBS Act to produce results for economic growth and job creation.

As Congressman said, “The JOBS Act eases the financial burdens small businesses face so that they can invest, grow and get Americans back to work. Having passed with strong bipartisan votes in the House of Representatives and Senate, with the support of the president, the bipartisan JOBS Act shows the American people that Congress can govern and Washington can work to provide the economic solutions Americans are demanding."

HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP ON HOUSE PASSED 2013 BUDGET

FROM HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP'S WEBSITE

Last week, the House passed a 2013 budget that upholds the pledge by House Republicans to change the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars by reducing federal spending and working to balance the budget – without job-killing tax increases. Congressman Dave Camp knows change doesn't come easily. However, he remains committed to leading the way with real solutions that will put America back on the path to economic growth. The House-passed budget gets spending under control, incorporates the next steps for pro-growth tax reform to spur economic growth and job creation, and keeps a promise to current and future seniors by taking steps to save safety net programs from bankruptcy.

Congressman Camp is often asked when speaking to America's backbone, small businesses and their owners, "how can we help spur a climate so the private sector can create jobs?" Simply put, both parties agree we need to do everything we can to help small businesses. With this in mind the House Ways and Means committee led by Congressman Camp approved H.R. 9, the Small Business Tax Cut Act of 2012. The legislation will allow businesses with fewer than 500 employees to take a tax deduction equal to 20% of their income and applies to business owners who pay their taxes at the individual or corporate

CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE ADDRESSES INFLATION IN NEWSLETTER

The following excerpt is from Congressman Dave Camp's website:
Highlights from the House: Constituents' Concerns
Congressman Dave Camp met with constituents across Michigan last week to hear their concerns, answer questions about the economic uncertainty that continues to threaten our nation’s recovery. Michiganders continue to voice concerns over the failed energy policies of the Obama Administration that have caused the price of gas to double, rising from a national average of $1.83 when President Obama took office to $3.75 today.

Gas is not the only price increase Americans are facing, according to a recent USA Today article, electricity bills have also skyrocketed. Under the Obama Administration, the average family income is down by more than $1,000, and the cost of eggs has increased by 30 percent, fruit by 14 percent, and meat by 18 percent. With the cost of living continuing to rise and wages remaining low, it comes as little surprise that nearly half of the U.S. feels worse off financially today than they did one year ago, according to a recent Gallup poll.

Relief, especially relief from high gas prices, does not appear to be on the horizon from President Obama. A White House aide recently confirmed that the president lobbied Senate Democrats to vote against the Keystone XL pipeline. If passed, the Keystone XL pipeline would increase our domestic crude supply by an estimated 302 million barrels per year (830,000 barrels a day), $20 billion of private sector investment would be injected into the American economy, 20,000 direct jobs would be created and $5 billion in taxes to local communities would be collected over the project’s lifetime.

HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO CURB CHINA'S TRADE ADVANTAGES

The following excerpt is from Congressman Dave Camp's website:

"Combating China’s Trade Unfair Practices
Last week, Congressman Camp joined several members of the Ways and Means Committee, including Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak), in introducing legislation to protect American consumers, workers and job creators from unfair trade practices by China.  “This legislation preserves our ability to fight unfair subsidies granted by countries like China that injure our industries, cost U.S. jobs, and distort the market. Distorting trade policies are deeply troubling and cannot be allowed to stand."

Congressman Camp also led the committee in a hearing on the president's trade policy agenda and the future of U.S. trade negotiations with U.S. Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk. At the hearing, Camp urged Ambassador Kirk to take a more proactive stance in enforcing U.S. rights in regard to unfair and illegal Chinese trade practices, “There are too many problems with China that continue to put our workers and our businesses at a disadvantage – from indigenous innovation policies to subsidies to intellectual property theft to currency undervaluation – just to mention a few. We must push China on every front, and the Administration must ensure that China’s commitments are fully implemented.”