U.S. Rep. Tom Reed said Monday in the wake of last week’s “sequester” budget cuts that his first priority is still comprehensive tax reform. Reed, R-Corning, said he envisions a “grand bargain” that would include tax reform, entitlement reforms and spending cuts to reduce the deficit.
He said any plan for tax reform should simplify the tax code by eliminating long lists of credits and tax breaks – but not increase taxes.
First though, Congress will have to get through the next budget crisis: On March 27, a continuing resolution to fund the government will expire. Without a new resolution authorizing spending, the government would shut down.
Reed says he expects the lower spending levels set by the sequester will be retained in any resolution that is passed. Those cuts are “the law of the land” now, he said.
Though House Republicans will likely push to keep the cuts in place, technically a new continuing resolution could eliminate the sequester, make different cuts or even increase spending.
On other topics:
• Reed said it was signifi cant that the White House and President Obama backed off their “doom and gloom” message on the sequester after it went into effect. Reed said the change in tone makes it clear that the predictions Democrats were making last week were only “political rhetoric.”
• Last week, the House passed the Senate’s version of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. “I was very glad to see the Senate Violence Against Women Act passed the House,” Reed said. Although House Republicans had passed their own VAWA bill, it’s the Senate version that is now set to be signed by the president. Eighty-seven Republicans voted for the bill in the House, but Reed actually wasn’t one of them. Still sounding a little hoarse, Reed said illness prevented him from being present for the vote. According to www.govtrack. us, Reed has missed just 1.4 percent of votes in his time in Congress, less than the 2.1 percent average among current representatives.
U.S. Rep. Tom Reed said Monday in the wake of last week’s “sequester” budget cuts that his first priority is still comprehensive tax reform. Reed, R-Corning, said he envisions a “grand bargain” that would include tax reform, entitlement reforms and spending cuts to reduce the deficit.
He said any plan for tax reform should simplify the tax code by eliminating long lists of credits and tax breaks – but not increase taxes.
First though, Congress will have to get through the next budget crisis: On March 27, a continuing resolution to fund the government will expire. Without a new resolution authorizing spending, the government would shut down.
Reed says he expects the lower spending levels set by the sequester will be retained in any resolution that is passed. Those cuts are “the law of the land” now, he said.
Though House Republicans will likely push to keep the cuts in place, technically a new continuing resolution could eliminate the sequester, make different cuts or even increase spending.
On other topics:
• Reed said it was signifi cant that the White House and President Obama backed off their “doom and gloom” message on the sequester after it went into effect. Reed said the change in tone makes it clear that the predictions Democrats were making last week were only “political rhetoric.”
• Last week, the House passed the Senate’s version of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. “I was very glad to see the Senate Violence Against Women Act passed the House,” Reed said. Although House Republicans had passed their own VAWA bill, it’s the Senate version that is now set to be signed by the president. Eighty-seven Republicans voted for the bill in the House, but Reed actually wasn’t one of them. Still sounding a little hoarse, Reed said illness prevented him from being present for the vote. According to www.govtrack. us, Reed has missed just 1.4 percent of votes in his time in Congress, less than the 2.1 percent average among current representatives.
