Orrin Hatch: “last Wednesday, the Trump administration unveiled the outlines of a tax reform plan, and, predictably, the plan has met…”

“last Wednesday, the Trump administration unveiled the outlines of a tax reform plan, and, predictably, the plan has met with both praise and scorn from the usual sectors. Regardless of where the people might come down on the specifics of the President's plan, those who have been proponents of tax reform--hopefully those from both parties--should be pleased to see the President of the United States fully engaged in this effort. For 6 years now, I have been beating the drum on tax reform. I have sought to make the case for reform here on the floor, in public forums and events, and in private conversations, and I haven't been alone. Indeed, Members from both parties have acknowledged the need to fix our broken tax system and have sought to move the ball forward on reform. One thing I have said throughout this endeavor is that tax reform, if it is going to be successful, will require Presidential leadership, and that was not a political statement on my part. With those statements, I wasn't simply calling for the election of a Republican President; on the contrary, I repeatedly implored President Obama to engage with Congress on tax reform but really to no avail. As of now, we finally have a President who is willing to lead in this effort.…”