WASHINGTON, DC - Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) participated in today’s Fiscal Responsibility Summit at the White House and issued the following statement upon its conclusion:
“Today’s fiscal summit was a very strong first step toward addressing the long-term fiscal challenges facing our nation. I applaud President Obama for convening this bipartisan meeting and I look forward to a continuing dialogue based on the foundation of trust and respect we have developed here today.
“I participated in the breakout session on tax reform and I am encouraged by the discussion we had on this serious issue. It is fair to say that the tax reform session found near-unanimous agreement on the need to lower the corporate tax rate to help make our companies more competitive internationally. As can be expected, folks had different views on how we handle the individual rates in a tax reform plan moving forward. We may not all agree on every solution presented, but today’s summit helped lay the groundwork for future discussions in Congress and its Committees to build bipartisan consensus on policy proposals.
“The American people recognize the gravity of the challenges we face and they are not looking for a Democratic or Republican solution, but a bipartisan effort to restore the fiscal health of our great nation. I do not think you can find a committee more eager than the Ways and Means Committee to bring forward bipartisan legislation, whether we’re dealing with health care, tax reform or Social Security.
“Under the strong leadership of President Obama, I have no doubt that we will continue the dialogue we began here today and emerge with a bipartisan consensus to address the challenges facing our nation."
