Letter to Barack Obama, President of the United States - Raising Taxes

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to express my strongest possible objection at reports that you are "very interested" in raising taxes through executive action.

Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution is clear on this matter -- only Congress has the power to tax. The statement by your press secretary this week that you are "very interested" in reshaping the tax code through unilateral action would be a clear violation of the Constitution and continue a disturbing lack of bipartisanship.

As a senior member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, I stand ready to work with your administration on a bipartisan plan to lower rates and simplify the tax code.

I remind you that the last successful tax reform effort, nearly 30 years ago, required President Reagan and a Democratic Congress to find common ground. But unilateral action could poison the well of goodwill that is necessary to tackle this urgent challenge in a bipartisan manner.

Our international tax system is in desperate need of reform. U.S. companies face stiff competition from foreign firms, our national debt has grown to more than $18 trillion, and we have too few good-paying jobs for American workers. Addressing these issues has to be the guiding principle for international tax reform.

We need to fundamentally reform our tax code to make America more competitive. We may have different opinions about specific elements of such reform. But by working together to find common ground, we can ensure that all Americans reap the benefits of tax reform.

Sincerely,

/s/

Vern Buchanan

Member of Congress

Source