Opinion: U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady Discusses Tax Day and More

This week is the worst week of the year for many Americans. It is the annual hassle to find the documents and paperwork to file your IRS tax return – this year due by Tuesday, April 18.

It takes Americans 8.9 billion – that’s billion, not million – hours to comply with IRS paperwork according to the Office of Information & Regulatory Affairs. This is the same as having 4.3 million full-time workers doing nothing all year but gathering tax return paperwork.

Worse, the time, cost and complexity of the bloated U.S. tax code will drain over $400 billion this year from our economy. And it’s only getting worse.

The GOP Blueprint for tax reform, which I lead, will dramatically simplify the code for businesses and individuals. So much so that nine out of ten Americans will be able to file their taxes using a simple postcard-style system. Local businesses can switch to a simpler cash-flow system of accounting if they choose.

The outdated, complex international tax system that drives U.S. jobs overseas will be jettisoned so that all products and services in American will be taxed equally at the lowest business rate in modern history. No more huge tax breaks for foreign products over U.S. products. And the “Made in America” tax goes away so our products can compete and win anywhere in the world – especially here at home.

Learn more about the “Built for Growth” tax plan here.

There are many good rank-and-file employees, but trust in the leadership of the Internal Revenue Service has hit rock-bottom. Last week a majority of Ways & Means Republicans, led by me as chairman, called on President Trump to fire IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.

The letter cites “key evidence in a Congressional investigation destroyed under his watch…misled Congress… intentionally degraded customer service… and has lost the trust of the American people.” My view is that America has a once-in-a-generation opportunity for tax reform and this arrogant commissioner will be a hindrance.

President Trump recently signed a new law I and Senator Cruz championed that will – for the first time in over 50 years – allow states like Texas to screen and drug test unemployment applicants so they can be ready to pass a routine drug test for a new job. It took five years of battling an Obama administration that simply ignored the law of the land to make this historic, common-sense change.

President Trump was right to act swiftly and proportionately to punish Syrian president Assad for his brutal, horrendous chemical weapons attack that killed innocent children and families. Enough is enough. Further military action requires approval by Congress, but this was the right action.

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