Ripon Forum


Vol. 49, No. 2

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In this edition

With the first presidential debate set for August 6th, many Republicans are now wondering whether history will repeat itself again. Will the House and Senate become passive bystanders and watch the political focus shift to the campaign trail? Or will the GOP Majority defy history by shaping the agenda on Capitol Hill? Precedent exists for […]

How Congress Shaped the ’80 Campaign

Ronald Reagan changed the nation’s economic course during the first two years of his presidency, but the seeds of this achievement were rooted in a House member’s bold attempt to broaden Republican appeal at a time when Democrats held solid control of Congress.

What America Wants…

There’s a quiet debate going on in Washington over the role Republicans in Congress should play in the 2016 presidential election. One side argues that Hill Republicans should leave a faint legislative footprint so as not to risk running afoul of the eventual GOP presidential nominee’s agenda. The other side argues that if Hill Republicans […]

How Congress can shape the 2016 campaign…

Just as the tax proposals of Rep. Jack Kemp and Senator Bill Roth contributed to President Reagan’s successful campaign, the current Republican-led Congress has an opportunity to have a significant impact on the 2016 elections with the tax reform effort underway in the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.

How Congress can shape the 2016 campaign…

America’s position in the world is shifting beneath us. Strategically speaking, we are ceding ground to the Chinese, Russians, Iranians, and to terrorists. All of this has a negative impact on our future. Congress can take some important steps this year to turn back this dangerous trend threatening America’s leadership role in the world.

How Congress can shape the 2016 campaign…

The current Congress is less than a year old, and already it is clear that the new GOP majority will have a tough time passing its agenda, let alone overcoming presidential vetoes to any laws that should happen to pass. Such an unfortunate circumstance does not, however, mean that this Congress cannot have an impact. […]

How Congress can shape the 2016 campaign…

To paraphrase Bill Clinton’s campaign slogan, “It’s the enterprise, stupid.” And not just any enterprises: technology-based, global, and fast growing enterprises are the key. This focus should be the north star of Republican economic policy. Congressional Republicans can play a key role in this by promoting legislation over the next year that a GOP presidential […]

What Every Candidate Should be Asked in 2016

As much work as I’ve done in Washington, DC, Congressmen and Senators can only do so much. I saw from the inside that Washington, DC was never going to fix itself. Instead of remaining in the bureaucratic morass that is the federal government, I thought it was important to work on something that could actually […]

The Roots of Ripon Republicanism

Continuing our year-long commemoration of The Ripon Forum’s 50th anniversary, the former President of The Ripon Society writes about the founding of the Society and how one of the group’s organizing principles was “the advancement of Civil Rights.”

Red Governors in Blue States

Republican governors elected on platforms of economic growth through tax reform are running the economies of three traditionally blue states. Can Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan deliver on their promises?

Ripon Profile of Cory Gardner

In the latest Ripon Profile, the freshman Senator from Colorado discusses the message of the last election and what voters want from Washington, DC. “I think voters around the country are searching for a positive message. They want to hear what your plan is, and they want to hear how you’re going to get it […]

How Congress can shape the 2016 campaign…

Advance Meaningful Tax Reform
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Elections focus on the real life concerns of the American people. For most Americans today, the strength of the US economy is a top concern. That was true in 1980 when Ronald Reagan made reducing tax rates to promote a stronger economy a central part of his campaign message. It remains true today when Americans are apprehensive about the lack of jobs and stagnant wages – wages that Americans depend on to pay their mortgage and put their children through school.

The current effort to advance meaningful tax reform is all about strengthening the U.S. economy, making US companies more competitive in the global marketplace, and making the tax code simpler and fairer for individuals. Just as the tax proposals of Rep. Jack Kemp and Senator Bill Roth contributed to President Reagan’s successful campaign, the current Republican-led Congress has an opportunity to have a significant impact on the 2016 elections with the tax reform effort underway in the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. The results of that effort could help shape the campaign for a Republican candidate to win the White House and for Republicans to increase their majorities in the House and the Senate.

The current Republican-led Congress has an opportunity to have a significant impact on the 2016 elections with the tax reform effort underway in the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.

Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan and Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch recently reaffirmed their commitment to comprehensive, revenue neutral tax reform to benefit families and businesses of all kinds. They said that because President Obama is unwilling to reduce individual statutory tax rates, some aspects of tax reform may have to be deferred until after the 2016 Presidential election. But in the meantime, they do not believe we wait until 2017 to take steps to promote a stronger US economy.

Accordingly, they are seeking to find common ground on business income tax reform, which will lower the US corporate tax rate – now the highest in the world – and provide effective tax rate relief for “pass-through” businesses whose owners are subject to the individual tax rates.

The narrowing of the scope of near-term tax reform efforts may well make legislative action this year more likely. In a recent joint letter, the two chairmen have asked taxpayers to submit tax reform ideas by May 31 of this year.

Chairman Ryan and Chairman Hatch are demonstrating to the American people that a Republican-led Congress will take action to strengthen the U.S. economy and to facilitate the creation of better paying jobs. Communicating to the general public these Republican initiatives, as well as explaining the benefits of tax reform, will help this become a winning Republican issue in advance of the 2016 elections.

In recent years, tax reform has progressed from just a handful of us talking about it, to one of the dominant issues being debated in Washington and around the country. Joining that debate have been a large number of coalitions representing job creators who understand the importance of more and better jobs at home and the need for the United States to compete in a global economy. In addition, numerous Congressional hearings, bipartisan working groups, discussion drafts, and white papers are serving to lay a solid foundation for tax reform. As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, I developed and released a comprehensive proposal to overhaul the tax code for the first time since 1986 that reflects the years of work undertaken on this critical issue.

Simplifying our complicated tax code and lowering the tax burden for both businesses and American families will spur job creation and improve the economic security of all Americans.

Chairman Ryan and Chairman Hatch are now continuing the effort to reform our tax code. While we don’t know whether they will complete the first phase of comprehensive tax reform in 2015, no one should doubt their commitment to the cause. A good sign of this can be seen in the Senate where Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden have led Finance Committee members, both Republicans and Democrats, to discuss tax reform issues in bipartisan working groups, which is an approach I used very effectively in the House.

At the same time, Chairman Ryan and Chairman Hatch are sending a clear message that Republicans are committed to comprehensive tax reform that lowers tax rates for both companies and individuals. Simplifying our complicated tax code and lowering the tax burden for both businesses and American families will spur job creation and improve the economic security of all Americans. This is a positive message that a Republican presidential candidate can run on and win the White House in 2016, just as Ronald Reagan did in 1980.

Former House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) is currently a Senior Tax Policy Advisor to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The views expressed are his own and are not offered on behalf of PwC or any client of the firm.