How Washington Handcuffs Tax Reformers

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
OPINION

How Washington Handcuffs Tax Reformers

Revenue-neutral rules are bad enough. Even worse: the assumption that lower taxes will have no effect on GDP.

By 

SCOTT A. HODGE AND STEPHEN J. ENTIN

Scott A. Hodge

Oct. 20, 2013 8:17 p.m. ET

Rep. Dave Camp (R., Mich.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D., Mont.), the senior tax writers in Congress, are committed to pushing the rock of tax reform up Capitol Hill. Their goal is to eliminate "loopholes" and so-called tax expenditures while lowering rates, in the belief that a simpler system will promote greater economic growth.

The forces against them are enormous. In the House, tax reform has taken a back seat to repealing ObamaCare. In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid threw cold water on Mr. Baucus's efforts by declaring that tax reform must raise another $1 trillion—a sentiment echoed by President Obama. There's no chance Republicans will vote for that.

.....

Full story here:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303918804579107072993156320