Expanding and deepening trade relationships produces stronger national security. That was the message today from newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. And he's calling for a "full-court press" to advance American trade with other nations.  Speaking at the Global Chiefs of Mission Conference in Washington, Secretary Carter noted that "by… Read more

​Last week, the Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee heard from family businesses and farmers struggling to pay or simply plan for the death tax. This hearing highlighted real people who work hard and save for their whole lives so they can pass on their family farms or businesses to loved ones. But these very people face overwhelming burdens thanks to death… Read more

Washington Examiner op-ed   Medicare is going broke, but this week we have a chance to start fixing it. And we can do it—with bipartisan support—by repealing a clumsy payment system that has threatened seniors' access to care and vexed Congress for nearly two decades. Here's the problem: In 1997, Congress tried to put a lid on Medicare's costs by capping doctor payments with a… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) delivered the following opening statement during a markup of bills to reform the IRS and repeal the death tax. "So, we're marking up a lot of bills today. But the point we're trying to make here is this: The IRS works for the taxpayer, not the other way around. It's their job to make doing your taxes as easy as possible. And so… Read more

WASHINGTON — Upon passage of the House Republican budget for fiscal year 2016, Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) released the following statement: "This is a budget to be proud of. Our plan would balance the budget in eight years, help create jobs, and strengthen our national security—all without raising taxes. We also call for Congress to fix our tax code by making it simpler,… Read more

WASHINGTON — Bipartisan leaders of the House Energy and Commerce and House Ways and Means Committees today introduced H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, to permanently replace Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). The agreement builds upon H.R. 1470, the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL) delivered the following opening statement during a hearing on the federal government’s use of data analysis—particularly the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Fraud Prevention System (FPS)—to identify emerging trends and stop Medicare fraud. "Welcome, everyone, to our second hearing. The… Read more

This week, the House has an opportunity to finally move beyond one of the more problematic policy issues of this century: the sustainable growth rate (SGR). This flawed Medicare formula, which regularly threatens huge cuts to reimbursements for seniors' care, has borne a cycle of funding crises and short-term fixes since 2003. It has also created instability for seniors and devoured… Read more

Americans deserve a government that’s efficient and effective, but that’s not exactly how you’d describe the IRS. So on Wednesday, the Ways and Means Committee will take up a series of bills based on the Tea Party targeting investigation to change how the IRS does business. And recently, the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, led by Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL), has upped… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today bipartisan leaders from the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees released a working summary outlining the broader framework of an agreement being negotiated to permanently replace the broken Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula with a system that rewards quality, efficiency, and innovation. Committee leaders continue to make progress… Read more