WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) delivered the following opening statement during the Ways and Means Committee markup of several tax bills designed to bring tax certainty for families and small businesses.

“I just wanted to say a few words about what we’re doing here. Look, we all know that businesses need certainty to grow. They need a tax code that’s clear, straightforward, easy to understand. But here’s the thing: Families need certainty too. Small businesses need certainty too. Charities, people in need, our farmers—they all deserve a tax code that’s simpler, flatter, fairer—because that makes it easier to plan for the future. That means they can focus on the job, not paperwork. And anytime we make their lives less predictable or when we make them more stressful and more difficult—that’s a disservice to them.
 
“So we’re here to fix that. We’re here to give them a little more certainty so we can move America forward. All of these ideas have broad, bipartisan support. Most of them have been part of the tax code for years. It’s about time we got around to making them permanent—instead of all these back-to-the-future extensions. Let’s make them permanent. Give people certainty. Move America forward. Thank you.“

###