Groups Urge Lawmakers to Enact Tax Reform in 2017

88 Conservative, Free Market Groups and Activists Urge Passage of Comprehensive,
Pro-Growth Tax Reform in 2017

September 14, 2017

The Honorable Paul D. Ryan
Speaker
United States House of
Representatives
H-232, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin
United States Treasury Secretary
Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20220

The Honorable Orrin G. Hatch
Chairman
Senate Committee on Finance
219 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
S-230, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Gary D. Cohn
Director, National Economic Council
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20500

The Honorable Kevin Brady
Chairman
House Committee on Ways and Means
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

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