Ron Wyden

I am very much committed to working with you and our colleagues towards that end.

We all know that comprehensive tax reform is going to have to be bipartisan.

I think Chairman Hatch is absolutely right in bringing up the issue of debt versus equity today for our committee to discuss.

In my view, in America, to create more jobs in the private sector and make us as competitive as possible in a tough global economy, we want business decisions made for business reasons, not for tax reasons.

I have offered three proposals recently.

Democrats and Republicans, in my view, share the goal of getting the tax code out of the business of picking economic winners and losers.

Corporate integration is about eliminating what some people call double taxation, where income is taxed once at the corporate level and again at the individual level.

Today I want to begin mostly with questions about what corporate integration would mean for middle-class families and small businesses looking for opportunities to get ahead.

I'm glad the committee will have this opportunity today to dig into the specifics.

This morning the Finance Committee will discuss the concept of corporate integration, which isn't exactly a topic that comes up at summer picnics.

To get tax reform passed, it is going to have to be bipartisan.

That is why the five employees ought to be concerned about this.

That would be the most efficient system and the way to ensure a progressive tax system, in my view.

Significant efficiencies can be achieved through corporate integration.

The bill that Senator Coats and I have would just take a tiny part of it, not the entire thing.

I share your view that we have an excellent panel of witnesses and this is going to be a valuable morning.

I have seen salt cedar removal projects work in places like the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.

I repeat, one salt cedar tree consumes about 200 gallons of water a day.

We need to thin our forests, Mr. Chairman. We need to thin our forests.

The United States will pay a profound environmental and economic price if greater attention and resources are not devoted to this issue.

We are facing a water emergency in the West.

The waste treatment plant will not be in full operation for another 20 years.

Not a single gallon, of high level, radioactive waste has actually been treated.

The Hanford site's legacy of failed performance and retaliation against whistleblowers and workers who raised safety concerns is alive and well.

$19 billion has been spent over the past 25 years to clean up these high level, radioactive wastes at Hanford.