Payroll Tax Negotiators Conduct First Meeting

GOP Address: Rep. Dave Camp on Growing the Economy and Cutting Spending

Jan 052013

US House of Representatives(WASHINGTON) — As the House returns for the 113th Congress, Rep. Dave Camp says its 2013 resolution is clear: to grow our economy, getting government spending under control and making Washington more accountable to Americans.

Camp, who represents the fourth district of Michigan and is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, says in this week’s Republican address that the real reason we’re in a “fiscal mess” is because “Washington takes too much of your money and then wastes it … We have to make sure Washington is accountable for every tax dollar it spends.”

Noting (just as House Speaker John Boehner did in an address two weeks ago) that “the American people re-elected a Republican [House] majority,” Rep. Camp says the GOP intend to use it “to hold the president accountable for the ‘balanced’ approach he promised.” According to Camp, that would mean spending cuts, simplifying the tax code and strengthening programs like Social Security and Medicare.

The congressman takes particular issue with the current IRS tax code, which he calls “a nightmare.” Camps says without reform, the current tax code is “too complex, too costly and too unfair.” Sixty percent of taxpayers have to hire a professional to do their taxes, according to Camp. “You shouldn’t need an army of lawyers and accountants to understand our tax code,” he says, suggesting lawmakers eliminate special interest loopholes so that everyone can play by the same rules.

“Your tax rate should be determined by what’s fair, not who you know in Washington,” he says in the address.

Now that Washington has averted the “fiscal cliff,” a new dilemma faces lawmakers, who must turn its attention to the debt ceiling. Now, Camp says, “we must identify responsible ways to tackle Washington’s wasteful spending.”

Camp criticizes President Obama and Democrats in Congress, saying that during the fiscal cliff talks they didn’t seem to understand that the government has to live within its means.

“That position is irresponsible and fails to acknowledge what every family in America already knows — when you have no more money in your account and you credit cards are maxed out, then the spending must stop,” he says.

Rep. Camp Receiving Treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Jul 282012

(Right, Dave Camp) Tom Williams/Roll Call (WASHINGTON) — Rep. David Camp of Michigan is being treated for Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma reports a press release by the House of Representatives.

Rep. Camp is the Chairman for the Ways and Means Committee. Although he is undergoing treatment, he will continue his duties as a U.S. Representative and committee member.

Top Negotiators: ‘We Have Reached an Agreement’ on Payroll Tax Measure

Feb 162012

Tom Williams/Roll Call(WASHINGTON) — The top two negotiators on the payroll tax credit announced early Thursday morning that they have reached a comprehensive, bipartisan deal after months of brinksmanship and tough negotiations.

The top Republican and Democratic negotiators met behind closed doors late into Wednesday evening working out a final agreement. Finally, at about 12:40 a.m. on Thursday, the duo emerged to break the news to reporters in the Capitol.

“We have reached an agreement,” Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the Republican chairman of the conference committee announced. “We’re at [legislative] council drafting, and with all drafting there are obviously technical issues that come up, but we’re confident that this can be concluded and so we’re here together to announce that we do have an agreement and we’re moving forward.”

“We have an agreement,” Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the Democratic vice chair of the conference committee, echoed. “A couple of things have to be worked out, but they’re minor and we expect that there will be a final, total result tomorrow.”

The leaders said they were still collecting signatures from the other 18 conferees participating in the conference, but the agreement enables the process to move forward.

“It’s clear that we’ll have a majority of the conferees sign the conference report and we’d like to have them sign it tonight, but we didn’t reach a full agreement until just now,” Baucus said. “But we have an agreement, and I’m totally convinced and assured — I’ve talked to conferees. There will be a majority of conferees will sign.”

Baucus and Camp were unsure how soon the House and Senate could vote to pass the bill, telling reporters those are leadership decisions. On Wednesday, House Republican leaders said they hoped they could vote by Friday.

The deal will extend the payroll tax credit for another 10 months, reform unemployment insurance and provide a so-called Doc Fix for physicians providing Medicare services.

“This is very important for a lot of people, 160 million Americans, who are now going to maintain their payroll tax cut,” Baucus said. “Lots of folks who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own are going to receive their unemployment benefits, seniors are going to be able to see their doctors to get Medicare, and it’s good for the country. Very good for the country.”

Payroll Tax Negotiators Conduct First Meeting

Jan 242012

Architect of the Capitol(WASHINGTON) — The select group of bipartisan lawmakers responsible for striking a long-term extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance met formally for the first time Tuesday afternoon, hoping to cut a deal before the funding runs out for those programs at the end of February.

Rep. Dave Camp, the chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, was designated the chairman of the negotiations, while Sen. Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance committee, was picked as the vice chairman.

The conference committee must also figure out a way to reconcile funding for the sustainable growth rate, also known as the Doc fix, which reimburses physicians for Medicare services.

“The biggest issue I see is that the House, and only the House, has put forward a plan to extend for one year the payroll tax holiday, unemployment insurance benefits and payments to doctors treating our nation’s seniors and those enrolled in Medicare,” Camp, R-Mich., said.

“As you can see, we have our work cut out for us,” he said. “I am confident that if every member of this conference committee is committed to finding a solution, we can and will do it.”

In addition to Baucus, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid selected Jack Reed, Ben Cardin and Bob Casey to represent Senate Democrats.

“We’ve all come here from different places and we’ve fought for different priorities, but now we’re all in the same boat,” Baucus said. “This isn’t about a Washington debate. It’s about the consequences to our economy if we don’t deliver. Those consequences are real, and they affect each and every family we represent.”

The conference committee is a product of Congress’s compromise on a two-month extension of the three measures that was signed into law at the end of December. Republicans had passed a year-long extension, but efforts to agree with the Senate on a bill of that length proved futile. After weeks of brinksmanship, House Republicans finally caved just before Christmas and agreed to the Senate’s two-month temporary fix.

Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday that he is optimistic that the payroll tax committee can conclude its business quickly — before the deadline Feb. 29.

“From all that I have heard from the Republicans, they want to do something and get this completed for a full year. That’s what they’ve said, and we hope that can be accomplished,” Reid said following the Senate Democrats’ weekly policy lunch. “I am hopeful that we can work toward completing this very quickly.”

Reid said he fully expects his appointees on the committee to “push” for the so-called millionaire’s surtax.

“We still believe that’s the fair thing to do,” he said.

In the past, Baucus, D-Mont., has been a supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline. Asked Tuesday if he would pressure Baucus to not include that provision as part of the payroll tax extension, Reid said Baucus is a “free agent,” but added of the Republicans’ proposals for the pipeline’s inclusion, “If they have some reasonable proposals, I’ll be happy to look at them. But that doesn’t sound too reasonable to me.”

Other than Camp, House Speaker John Boehner chose Nan Hayworth, Tom Price, Renee Ellmers, Kevin Brady, Fred Upton, Tom Reed and Greg Walden to represent House Republicans. Senate Republicans appointed Jon Kyl, John Barrasso and Mike Crapo to the conference committee. House Democrats Xavier Becerra, Sander Levin, Allyson Schwartz, Chris Van Hollen and Henry Waxman round out the conference’s negotiators.