Weather Disasters Hit Iowans Hard

This summer Iowa has seen severe weather events hit nearly every corner of the state. From flooding on the Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers and tornados, hail and torrential downpours in other parts of the state, Iowans are dealing with what seems like a never-ending barrage from Mother Nature. Just yesterday I sent a letter to President Obama supporting Governor Branstad’s request for federal public assistance and hazard mitigation assistance for... Read more

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Common Sense Appears to Win in Proposed Ag Transportation Regulations

The last few months have shown a clear disconnect between Washington bureaucrats at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency in the Department of Transportation, and rural America. The agency had proposed new regulations that could, if enacted, cause significant burdens on farmers as they transport their farm commodities. I joined several senators to voice concerns with the proposed regulations. In our letter, we reminded the administration that... Read more

 

Tax Reform, Not Tax Increases, for Economic Growth

Anyone who’s filed taxes knows to block out hours, and maybe even days, for the task. If you run a small business or corporation, you probably have to hire accountants and tax counsels to help. The forms and instructions are hard to follow. Once you get your tax filing right, the next concern is whether the tax rates are fair, whether they’re excessive or adequate to fund the fundamental functions of government, and if you have a business, whether the tax system helps or hurts your ability to create jobs.

The debt crisis and poor economy are giving new rise to a discussion in Washington of whether the tax system merits wholesale change and if so, what that change should look like.

Unfortunately, President Obama seems to embrace a definition of tax reform that has nothing to do with economic growth. The President hints that his interpretation might be a stalking horse for tax increases. This week, he said tax reform should “ask those who can afford it to pay their fair share.” He hasn’t put out any proposals that many of us who have studied the tax system would consider true tax reform. On the Finance Committee, with jurisdiction over tax policy, we’ve looked at tax reform as an opportunity to simplify tax filing for all taxpayers and to make U.S. businesses more competitive in a global economy... Read more