Sometimes, the best I can do is to simply pass good news directly on to you, readers of The WOTC Planet.
Following is a correspondence from Paul Suplizio, President of The WOTC Coalition. It is published here with his permission.
Please note, the bold headings are added by me as your editor. I added them to help parse a fairly long correspondence with much important information for you to consider.
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June 26, 2012
[Influential WOTC Meeting with House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp and Other House and Senate Leaders]
Arnie Honkamp, Mike Welbes and others from tax consultant Honkamp-Kreuger, located in Iowa, came to Washington recently to get the WOTC message across with the help of their congressman, Tom Latham, who ranks 40th in seniority in the House and was singled out by the Coalition’s 50-state lobbying plan as a key Republican target.
Here is the advantage of seniority: Mr. Latham arranged a meeting with Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, personally escorted the group to Chairman Camp’s office, and sat in on the 30-minute meeting with the chairman and three staff aides, covering all aspects of WOTC and answering many of the Chairman’s questions.
The Honkamp team also saw Speaker Boehner’s staff and met with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a close colleague of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus who’s been trying to clear a tax extenders bill with Senate Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell (recall the Leaders have already agreed in principle to pass the extenders, or at least those that aren’t earmarked for termination.)
We’ve been urging Senator Grassley to support Senator Baucus’ efforts, so the Honkamp meeting was timely reinforcement and assures Senator Grassley will remember these Iowa constituents.
We have people like Honkamp Kreuger working in all 50 states. You know who you are, and your efforts have begun to pay off. Every breakthrough to a Republican congressman or senator strengthens the cause.
[Statement on Tax Reform by Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp]
We are attaching a statement issued today by Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp on what he expects to accomplish on taxes before the August recess. Here we see the Chairman covering two lines of attack: first, the prospect of bringing a bill in July to extend the Bush tax cuts—an issue on which no final decision has been made by House leaders; and second, clarifying principles that will guide his approach to tax reform next year.
A tax bill of any kind from the House will be welcome—Camp’s statement shows House leaders are inching toward the idea that passing a bill extending the Bush cuts for another two years will be good politics. If so, such a bill would be a natural vehicle for WOTC and the other tax extenders.
Principles governing tax reform have been addressed by Chairman Camp before, for example, see his May 17 speech to the Federal Policy Group posted under “Press Releases” at www.waysandmeans.house.gov. There will be two individual tax brackets, 10 percent and 25 percent, the maximum corporate rate will be 25 percent, the alternative minimum tax will be eliminated, international taxation will be on a territorial rather than worldwide system, and “fast track” procedures for enacting tax reform should be provided by law.
[Chairman Camp’s Strategy to Keep All Tax Credits & Deductions Alive until Comprehensive Tax Reform can be Considered]
Clearly, there will be no tax reform until 2013. Because of this, the Chairman recently adopted an interesting tactic to make the point that he doesn’t want any “tax loopholes” ended this year since he intends to use them to pay for tax reform next year: he invited Grover Norquist, the author of the famous “No Tax Pledge,” to speak to Ways and Means members and staff to underscore the importance of not closing tax loopholes this year because they will provide the savings needed to pay for major tax reform.
By “tax loopholes” is meant ALL corporate tax credits and deductions, not just tax extenders. Chairman Camp understands he cannot allow tax loopholes, including expired tax provisions, to terminate this year because he needs their revenue to pay for tax reform next year! Do we see a favorable omen for a WOTC extension for 2012 and 2013?
There will be many convulsions in the legislative swirl between now and the August recess. I am in touch with many of you already, but everyone is urged to contact me if you have any question about how you can be most effective, 703-587-4566. Many thanks for your efforts.
PAUL E. SUPLIZIO
President, WOTC Coalition
