Washington, DC – After attending the address delivered by President Obama today at George Washington University, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) issued the following statement.
 
“While I’m pleased the President has answered our call for individual tax reform, I’m disappointed the speech was so partisan.  That said, the President deserves credit for acknowledging his budget didn’t go nearly far enough in getting Washington spending under control.  However, his proposal to raise taxes on the American people by more than $1 trillion would be devastating for our economy and job creation. 
 
“Higher taxes aren’t the solution; they’re just a greater burden Washington would put on families and job creators.  Despite the President’s claim that tax hikes will only hit those families defined as ‘fortunate,’ the reality is that the tax hike would hit half of all small business income. We need those small businesses paying more employees, not paying more in taxes.

“Going forward, I am hopeful we can set the politics aside and focus on pro-growth policies.  What I have called for, and what is included in Chairman Ryan’s budget, is revenue neutral tax reform that lowers rates and broadens the base.  Our approach is pro-jobs and independent economists have estimated that, when coupled with spending restraint, it can spur the creation of up to 1 million jobs next year alone.”

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