Rep. Buchanan backs GOP tax reform bill
House Republicans revealed their new tax plan Thursday and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, who attended the announcement at Capitol Hill, is a huge supporter.
“We are one step closer to meaningful tax reform that will benefit all Americans. This bill cuts taxes for middle-class families as well as small businesses, simplifies a broken tax code and jump-starts the economy,” Buchanan said. “I look forward to meeting with my constituents in the weeks ahead to discuss how the bill can be improved further as it makes its way through Congress.”
The first tax code overhaul in 31 years is designed to reduce complication and put more money back in the pockets of middle-class Americans, said Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis. During the announcement, he demonstrated that taxes could be filed on a sheet the size of a postcard.
Buchanan, a ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee that oversees changes to the tax code, has previously tweeted that the new plan would “simplify the broken tax code” and “jump-start the economy.”
New tax package cuts taxes for middle class families, simplifies broken tax code + jump-starts economy! #sayfie pic.twitter.com/932aBfVSAJ
— Rep. Vern Buchanan (@VernBuchanan) September 27, 2017
However, at least one Florida lawmaker argues that the code restructure doesn’t go far enough. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted Thursday that the child tax credit increase is detrimental to his goal of helping working families.
House #TaxReform plan is only starting point.But $600 #ChildTaxCredit increase doesn’t achieve our & @potus goal of helping working families
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 2, 2017
Rubio previously said that he will vote against the plan if a child tax credit increase is not part of the package. He and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, have proposed an increase to at least $2,000 per child, twice that of the current $1,000 limit per child. In its current form, the House bill raises it to $1,600.
Gov. Rick Scott will accompany Vice President Mike Pence at a tax reform roundtable Thursday afternoon in Orlando.
.@SecretarySonny & @FLGovScott will join me to highlight @POTUS' pro-JOBS, pro-WORKER, pro-AMERICAN tax reforms in Orlando today. #VPinFL pic.twitter.com/IRs6TtLLaV
— Vice President Pence (@VP) November 2, 2017
The Ways and Means Committee will take a closer look at the proposed tax code next week. President Donald Trump called the bill an “important step toward providing massive tax relief for the American people,” adding that he wants to see the bill on his desk by Christmas.
This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Rep. Buchanan backs GOP tax reform bill."