Once again, the same form letter. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Reply from Senator Kaine Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:57:06 -0400 From: U.S. Senator Kaine To: March 18, 2014 Mr. David Evans Dear Mr. Evans: Thank you for contacting me about an overhaul of the tax code. It was good to hear from you. There is widespread agreement the federal tax code needs to be reformed - it must be simpler, more predictable, and more progressive. The code should be fair and pro-growth; it should also make us globally competitive. We should eliminate some spending administered through the tax code. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimated in 2013 alone, spending through the tax code will lead to roughly $1.3 trillion in foregone revenue. This is not the type of spending we can afford in the current fiscal climate. I welcome ideas that would help to broaden the tax base while maintaining fairness and progressivity in the code. For example, the charitable deduction and earned income tax credit are important policies that must remain as important components of our tax code, as they advance societal goals. But there are other tax expenditures that should be eliminated. We should conduct a thorough reexamination of all aspects of the code in light of our current fiscal climate. The Senate Finance Committee has put forward tax reform discussion drafts that cover foreign income, tax administration, cost accounting, and other areas for consideration. This is a legislative process that will take time, as well as input from all members of Congress and the American public. A balanced approach is required. Last year, for the first time since 1986, the House and Senate agreed to go to conference on a budget resolution in a divided Congress. Efforts to try to compromise on budget issues were long overdue. After March 23, 2013 when the Senate passed a budget, I have worked with my colleagues to begin a budget negotiation with the House. The hard work of the budget conference committee led to a bicameral budget compromise that I was proud to support. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 is a two-year bipartisan agreement that sets overall spending levels for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 and replaces $63 billion of automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that would have otherwise occurred due to sequestration. The harmful, non-strategic cuts to defense and non-defense spending over the next two years will be replaced by a mix of targeted spending reductions, fees, and revenues, the model embraced by the Senate budget. The agreement also reduces the budget deficit by about $20 billion. This is a significant step forward that allowed spending bills to be written to keep government operating for the rest of the fiscal year and that helped to avoid reckless shutdowns and stopgap measures. This budget agreement was a better alternative than allowing $20 billion in additional defense cuts to occur in January 2014 or enduring another government shutdown. In the spirit of bipartisan cooperation, I voted in favor of the budget agreement, which passed the Senate on a vote of 64-36 and was signed into law by President Obama on December 26, 2013. This compromise plan provides certainty to businesses, the economy, and families. I am hopeful we can continue to resolve the difficult problems our nation faces, including tax reform, in a similar manner. Thank you again for contacting me about this important issue. Sincerely, Signature Tim Kaine
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 18:37:20 +0000
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