In his January 24, 2012 State of the Union Address President Barack Obama spoke of the optimism of the World War II generation and noted:  “They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share – the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family,… Read more

Washington, DC – House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) called on the Administration today to pressure China to stop unfairly undervaluing its currency at the upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) symposium in March.  In a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Camp and… Read more

Earlier this week during his State of the Union address, President Obama said, “The defining issue of our time is how to keep that [American] promise alive.” What he conveniently omitted from his speech was that his failed policies have done nothing to make it easier to achieve, or afford, success.  In fact, as the table below shows, the Obama Administration has left Americans… Read more

Washington, DC – Today, Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requesting information on the operations and practices of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), including an explanation of why Medicare and Medicaid duties are being delegated to the… Read more

Recently, President Obama proposed creating a new department by combining the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) with most of the Department of Commerce and several other government agencies. The President suggests the move will streamline government, help small businesses and promote exports.  However, placing USTR, one of the most nimble government agencies… Read more

On January 24, 2012, the President said in his annual State of the Union Address: “This is a make or break moment for the middle class, and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class.”  Throughout his address, the President outlined his ideas for “helping” the middle class.  The words may sound familiar, but the promise rings hollow.  This is especially true… Read more

Instead of focusing on tax reform that can create jobs, President Obama used this week’s State of the Union address to talk about how he intends to take more money away from employers, investors and savers in order to create new carve-outs for a few industries and projects favored by his administration.  Reforming our tax code to make it simpler, fairer and more conducive to job… Read more

Last night President Obama had this to say about the importance of completing high school for teenagers: “We also know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma.  So tonight, I call on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen.”   The President’s… Read more

Despite ongoing claims that high-income Americans pay taxes at a lower rate than middle- or low-income Americans, recent statements in the press and actual data from nonpartisan sources show that that is not the case: 51% Pay No Income Taxes: “In summary, for tax year 2009, approximately 22 percent of all tax units, including filers and non filers, will have zero income tax… Read more

Washington, DC – Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) issued the following statement in response to the decision by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to grant an extension for filing a rehearing request in the ongoing litigation about the application of the countervailing duty laws to non-market economies such as China.   “We must do everything we can to ensure that… Read more