Taxes

As our united effort to overhaul the tax code continues this fall, we are reminded of what took place 31 years ago when President Ronald Reagan signed the last comprehensive tax reform bill into law on October 22, 1986.

We know we can’t tax our way out of debt. The best way to bring down the deficit is by growing the economy through better tax policy and holding the line on spending. This is why the House fulfilled its constitutional power of the purse by passing the Fiscal Year 2018 budget resolution during the first week of October.

There is not enough long-term thinking in Congress. With tax reform, we can and must change this mentality. Focusing on the future will deliver more economic growth and greater opportunity for generations to come.

Three decades after President Reagan signed the largest tax reform in our country’s history into law, our tax code is once again desperately in need of a pro-growth overhaul. The good news is tax reform is at the forefront of our agenda, and a framework is in place.

Nebraskans have been waiting far too long for a simpler, fairer tax code. To help them plan for the future for their families, farms, and businesses, we need to move forward on comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform.

Each year, Tax Day is an unpleasant reality check on how complicated and outdated our tax code has become. Tax reform is next on our legislative agenda, and we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lessen the burden on American families and businesses.

With its healthy optimism and sense of urgency, it is no surprise President Trump’s address to Congress earned a 76 percent approval rating among viewers in a CBS News poll. Expectations are high among Americans, and they should be. We have a lot of work to do.