Phil English Comments in Bloomberg News on Potential Overhaul to US Tax Code

Bloomberg reported House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) may introduce new legislation, but that “Republican leaders are concerned about the lack of a path to a tax law before this Congress concludes at the end of 2014, given their opposition to raising taxes and Democrats’ insistence that major tax-code changes be accompanied by revenue increases.”

“When you open up tax reform, you always bring to the table a lot of entrenched interests,” said Mr. English, a former Republican lawmaker from Pennsylvania and member of the Ways and Means panel. “And the question is: Can you manage that process politically? And can you make a compelling argument that what you are advocating for is a significant improvement, not only for the taxpayer but also for the economy?”

Bloomberg added that the issue has reached a point where Republicans must decide whether it is the right time to move forward. “There are risks involved,” said Mr. English. “There are challenges in messaging. But this is precisely the kind of process that should be in the Republicans’ core, should be in their area of expertise.”