Roy Blunt: “I am not aware of any Missouri constituents, for whom I work, who wouldn't like to see a tax code that was simpler…”

“I am not aware of any Missouri constituents, for whom I work, who wouldn't like to see a tax code that was simpler, fairer, that did more to create jobs, that was better for individuals, and one that they understood. I don't have anybody come up to me and say: What can we do to complicate the Tax Code further, or what can we do to make us less competitive, or how much more of my money would you like to have to do what you think the government ought to do? I don't have anybody say that to me. We are now at a time when we have the tools available. We have the focus available that will allow us to move in the right direction. For almost a decade now, hard-working families and hard-working individuals have had to deal with a below-average economy and with below-average wage growth in that below-average economy. Surely, we don't want that to be the new normal. I kept hearing the last 3 or 4 years that 2 percent growth is what we should expect now. The growth since World War II has averaged 3.4 percent for over 70 years. Suddenly, we were told: No, 2 percent is the best we can do. I understand that, even counting the Great Depression, growth in the entire 20th century was over 3 percent. What do we need to do to get our economy growing in a way that creates better opportunities and better jobs? Why would it create better jobs?…”