Free Republic

Republican Rep. Bill Thomas, chairman of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, was set to announce Monday whether he would retire from Congress or seek a 15th term. Thomas, 64, scheduled a morning news conference in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., amid speculation that he would leave the House of Representatives. Because of House Republicans' self-imposed term limits for committee chairmen, the mercurial but brainy former college professor is serving his last year as head of the powerful committee that writes tax laws. GOP officials are working under the assumption that Thomas will retire, according to a Republican election...

<p>The United States imposes on its businesses and workers one of the highest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world. In addition to this high tax rate, rising health care costs, virtually unlimited liability exposure and the outdated manner in which U.S. businesses are taxed on their worldwide income have combined to put American companies and American workers in a dangerously uncompetitive position.</p>

It is a mystery why the Bush administration continues to press for full elimination of taxes on dividends when it has been clear for weeks that this is untenable, given the limited amount of revenue available under the congressional budget resolution, says Bruce Bartlett. By continuing to press for its plan -- no matter how stupidly it is implemented, perhaps with long phase-ins and a sunset provision -- it reduces the chances of enacting good supply-side tax measures such as those proposed by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.). The Thomas plan calls for: o Cutting the tax...

Hearing on Preserving the Integrity of Social Security Numbers and Preventing Their Misuse by Terrorists and Identity Thieves Introduction Good afternoon, Chairman Shaw, Chairman Gekas, Ranking Member Matsui, Ranking Member Jackson Lee, and Members of the Subcommittees on Social Security and Immigration, Border Security, and Claims. I welcome the opportunity to be here today to discuss homeland security as it relates to the integrity of the Social Security number (SSN). This is my seventh appearance before a congressional hearing this year to discuss the importance of extending protections for SSN integrity, and I cannot bring this message to Congress too...

Hearing on Preserving the Integrity of Social Security Numbers and Preventing Their Misuse by Terrorists and Identity Thieves Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am extremely honored, and I thank you for the privilege to testify at today’s hearing. My name is Matthew Reindl and I am an operator of a small family owned woodworking factory. I am not a paid lobbyist, and I do not draw a salary from any political or social advocacy group. I believe I am speaking for the tens of thousands of law abiding small business owners, who are being adversely affected, many...

Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures of the House Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on the Extraterritorial Income Regime May 9, 2002 Thank you Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I am Herman Cain, Chairman of Godfather’s Pizza, Inc., a chain of 600 small businesses, Chief Executive Officer of T.H.E., Inc., a leadership consulting company, and, I am a member of and speaking on behalf of Americans For Fair Taxation. I appreciate the opportunity to testify before your committee on “promoting the global competitiveness of US businesses in the global market place.” There are two basic...