Congress must pass pro-growth tax reform in 2017, a coalition of 88 conservative groups and activists led by Americans for Tax Reform and Americans for Prosperity today wrote in a letter to leaders in the White House, House, and Senate.
As the letter notes, the tax code today serves well-connected special interests, rather than hard working American families. Americans are frustrated with this rigged system, and it is imperative that lawmakers ensure that comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform is signed into law this year.
The full letter can be found here and is below:
Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader McConnell, Secretary Mnuchin, Director Cohn, Chairman Hatch, and Chairman Brady:
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we write to urge passage of comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform in 2017.
In the past 30 years, the tax code has expanded in size and complexity. Today, the code serves well-connected special interests, not hard working American families. After many years of inaction, Congress and the administration have a chance to fix our broken tax system this year by making it fairer, simpler, and less burdensome.
There is broad consensus on the need for tax reform. With the 2018 midterm elections in sight, it is also crucial that bold policies keeping the promises made to the American people are realized soon.
Numerous polls have shown widespread public support for tax reform that lowers rates for all and reforms the code based on the principles of simplicity, fairness, and equity. Americans are frustrated with the rigged system that favors the politically connected and lobbyists at the expense of ordinary Americans.
It is key that tax reform reduce rates for Americans across the board, drastically simplifies the code for families and individuals, ends the Death Tax, unrigs the system to promote a healthy economy, and implements a territorial system of taxation so businesses large and small can compete.
2017 represents an important opportunity to provide financial security to hardworking taxpayers by signing tax reform into law. We applaud the work that each of you have already taken to ensure tax reform is enacted in 2017 and stand ready to continue working with you in the second half of the year.
Sincerely,
Grover Norquist
President, Americans for Tax Reform
Christine Harbin
Vice President of External Affairs, Americans for Prosperity
James L. Martin
Founder & Chairman, 60 Plus Association
Dan Greenberg
President, Advance Arkansas Institute
Phil Kerpen
President, American Commitment
Daniel Schneider
Executive Director, American Conservative Union
Steve Pociask
President, American Consumer Institute
Tim Doyle
Vice President of Policy & General Counsel, American Council for Capital Formation
Sean Noble
President, American Encore
Lisa B. Nelson
CEO, American Legislative Exchange Council
Ashley N. Varner
Executive Director, ALEC Action
Mark J. Fitzgibbons
President of Corporate Affairs, American Target Advertising, Inc.
Kevin Waterman
Chair, Annapolis Center Right Coalition Meeting (Maryland)
Scot Mussi
President, Arizona Free Enterprise Club
Dan Weber
President, Association of Mature American Citizens
Lindsay Boyd
Policy Director, Beacon Center of Tennessee
Robert Alt
President and CEO, The Buckeye Institute (Ohio)
Garrett Ballengee
Executive Director, Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Public Policy
Bob Carlstrom
President, The Carlstrom Group
Steve Buckstein
Founder, Cascade Policy Institute (Oregon)
Kent Lassman
President, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Jeffrey Mazella
President, Center for Individual Freedom
Andrew F. Quinlan
President, Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Peter Nelson
Vice President, Center of the American Experiment (Minnesota)
Chip Faulkner
Associate Director, Citizens for Limited Taxation (Massachusetts)
Chuck Muth
President, Citizen Outreach (Nevada)
Ralph Benko
Conservative Columnist
Matthew Kandrach
President, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy
Thomas Schatz
President, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Edward King
President, Defense Priorities Initiative
Katie McAuliffe
Executive Director, Digital Liberty
Craig Richardson
President, E&E Action
Robert Roper
President, Ethan Allen Institute (Vermont)
Timothy Head
Executive Director, Faith & Freedom Coalition
Palmer Schoening
President, Family Business Coalition
Richard Watson
Chairman, Florida Center Right Coalition
Annette Meeks
CEO, Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Nathan Nascimento
Vice President of Policy, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce
Adam Brandon
President, FreedomWorks
David Barnes
Policy Director, Generation Opportunity
Kelly McCutchen
President and CEO, Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Rodolfo E. Milani
Trustee, HACER (Hispanic American Center for Economic Research)
Joseph Bast
CEO, The Heartland Institute
Mario H. Lopez
President, Hispanic Leadership Fund
William A. Estrada, Esq.
Director of Federal Relations, Home School Legal Defense Association
Wayne Hoffman
President, Idaho Freedom Foundation
Jon Caldara
President, Independence Institute (Colorado)
Heather R. Higgins
President and CEO, Independent Women’s Voice
Tom Giovanetti
President, Institute for Policy Innovation
Sal J. Nuzzo
Vice President of Policy, The James Madison Institute (Florida)
Kory Swanson
President & CEO, John Locke Foundation (North Carolina)
Dave Trabert
President, Kansas Policy Institute
Nancy Misasi
President, Lakeland Tea Party of Greater Wanaque Area (New Jersey)
John Tomicki
Executive Director, League of American Families
Seton Motley
President, Less Government
Colin A. Hanna
President, Let Freedom Ring
Daniel Garza
Executive Director, The LIBRE Initiative
Brett Healy
President, The MacIver Institute (Wisconsin)
Michael LaFaive
Senior Director of Fiscal Policy, Mackinac Center for Public Policy (Michigan)
Carl Copeland
Executive Director, Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance
Mary Adams
Chair, Maine Center-right Coalition Meeting
Pem & Ruth Schaeffer
Maine Conservative Activists
Tom Davis
Maine Conservative Activist
Victoria Bucklin
Maine Conservative Activist
Henry Kriegel
President, Montanans for Tax Reform
Tim Jones
Former Speaker, Missouri House of Representatives
State Chair, Missouri Center-Right Coalition
Harry C. Alford
President/CEO, National Black Chamber of Commerce
Brandon Arnold
Executive Vice President, National Taxpayers Union
The Honorable William O’Brien
Former Speaker, New Hampshire House of Representatives
Co-chair, New Hampshire Center Right Coalition
Grant Malloy
Chair, Orlando Florida Center Right
Jonathan Small
President, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Jeff Kropf
Executive Director, Oregon Capitol Watch
Daniel J. Erspamer
CEO, Pelican Institute for Public Policy (Louisiana)
Lorenzo Montanari
Executive Director, Property Rights Alliance
Don Racheter
President, Public Interest Institute (Iowa)
Charlie Gerow
President, Quantum Communications (Pennsylvania)
Eli Lehrer
President, R Street Institute
Paul Gessing
President, Rio Grande Foundation (New Mexico)
Mike Stenhouse
CEO, Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Bill Whipple
President & Director, Secure America’s Future Economy (SAFE)
Karen Kerrigan
President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
David Williams
President, Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Judson Phillips
President, Tea Party Nation
Jenny Beth Martin
Co-Founder & CEO, Tea Party Patriots
Kevin D. Roberts, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, Texas Public Policy Foundation
Mike Thompson
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy (Virginia)
Carl Bearden
Executive Director, United for Missouri
Jonathan Downing
CEO, Wyoming Liberty Group