Last week, AFFT Chairman & President Steve Hayes and I returned to D.C. to visit with 11 Members of Congress. It was another busy schedule with 19 meetings on Capitol Hill. As a follow-up to my February report, several tax reform hearings have been held in the House Ways & Means Committee, and one of those was held last week where a Member of Congress actually mentioned “Americans For Fair Taxation” in his remarks — more about that exciting testimony later!
For the past year, my main focus for Steve and me were appointments with Members of Congress and/or their staff on the House Ways & Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, and we have met with a majority of those offices. We continue to increase our visibility and their interest in the FAIRtax on Capitol Hill.
However, for this trip, it was time to show our solidarity and appreciation to those Members who support our legislation by honoring them with an official FAIRtax pinning ceremony and photo opportunity for our weekly newsletter. To date, there are 81 Members who support the Fair Tax Act, H.R.25 / S.155. Ten of them were officially “pinned” on this trip!
Woodall serves on the House Committee on Rules, the House Budget Committee, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Senior Policy Advisor Alex Poirot joined us for this meeting, and keeps us well-informed of all FAIRtax activities on the House side.
— Tax Legislative Assistant Gerald Huang with the office of Senator David Perdue (GA; CoSponsor S.155; sits on the following: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, serving as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources; Committee on the Budget; Committee on Foreign Relations, serving as Chairman, Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development; and Committee on the Judiciary)
— Tax Legislative Assistant Steven Valentine with the office of Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4; sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and is Chairman of its Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organization Subcommittee; and Chairman of both the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China). Thanks goes to New Jersey FAIRtax Board member John O’Rourke for help in scheduling this meeting!
— Tax Legislative Assistant Jake Bornstein with the office of Congressman Ken Buck (CO-4; sits on the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittees on Government Operations and the Interior as well the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and its Subcommittees on Immigration and Border Security and Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations)
— Legislative Director Jeff Small with the office of Congressman Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-4; sits on the House Committee on Natural Resources where he is Vice-Chairman of its Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee, and serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
— Legislative Assistant Christen Harsha with the office of Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-9; sits on Energy and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittees on Health, Energy and Power, and Oversight and Investigations)
— Deputy Chief of Staff/Legislative Director Robert Yavor with the office of Congressman Cresent Hardy (NV-4; sits on the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and Small Business; serves as Vice-Chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, as well as Chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations); the Congressman was scheduled for a pinning ceremony with us, but was called to the House floor for a roll call vote.
— Legislative Director Aaron Calkins with the office of Congressman Raul Labrador (ID-1; sits on the Natural Resources and Judiciary Committees)
— Senior Policy Advisor for Health & Tax Abby Pezzi with the office of Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, CPA (KS-2; CoSponsor H.R.25; sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, serving on both the Health Subcommittee and Trade Subcommittee); Congresswoman Jenkins said a quick “Hello” as she returned to her office after testifying at the tax reform hearing.
Show your solidarity; wear a FAIRtax lapel pin! Please join us, and together we can make history!!
Peggy Green-Ernst, MBA
Director, Government Relations
Board of Directors
Americans For Fair Taxation
Peggy.Green-Ernst@FAIRtax.org
#FAIRtax
For the past year, my main focus for Steve and me were appointments with Members of Congress and/or their staff on the House Ways & Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, and we have met with a majority of those offices. We continue to increase our visibility and their interest in the FAIRtax on Capitol Hill.
However, for this trip, it was time to show our solidarity and appreciation to those Members who support our legislation by honoring them with an official FAIRtax pinning ceremony and photo opportunity for our weekly newsletter. To date, there are 81 Members who support the Fair Tax Act, H.R.25 / S.155. Ten of them were officially “pinned” on this trip!
Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-5) — officially “pinned”
Congressman Rob Woodall (GA-7) — testified on the Fair Tax Act
Woodall serves on the House Committee on Rules, the House Budget Committee, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Senior Policy Advisor Alex Poirot joined us for this meeting, and keeps us well-informed of all FAIRtax activities on the House side.
Other Members of Congress — officially “pinned”
Steve and I met with the following members of Congress to honor them for being CoSponsors of The Fair Tax Act, and they are now sporting a FAIRtax lapel pin from our official “pinning” ceremonies on Capitol Hill. During our meetings, we updated them on FAIRtax activities, provided an opportunity for them to write a FAIRtax opinion editorial for our newsletter, and offered to participate in a Town Hall on tax reform in their district.House of Representatives:
Senate:
Other Capitol Hill Meetings
Other congressional office meetings were as follows:— Tax Legislative Assistant Gerald Huang with the office of Senator David Perdue (GA; CoSponsor S.155; sits on the following: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, serving as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources; Committee on the Budget; Committee on Foreign Relations, serving as Chairman, Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development; and Committee on the Judiciary)
— Tax Legislative Assistant Steven Valentine with the office of Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4; sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and is Chairman of its Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organization Subcommittee; and Chairman of both the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China). Thanks goes to New Jersey FAIRtax Board member John O’Rourke for help in scheduling this meeting!
— Tax Legislative Assistant Jake Bornstein with the office of Congressman Ken Buck (CO-4; sits on the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittees on Government Operations and the Interior as well the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and its Subcommittees on Immigration and Border Security and Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations)
— Legislative Director Jeff Small with the office of Congressman Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-4; sits on the House Committee on Natural Resources where he is Vice-Chairman of its Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee, and serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
— Legislative Assistant Christen Harsha with the office of Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-9; sits on Energy and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittees on Health, Energy and Power, and Oversight and Investigations)
— Deputy Chief of Staff/Legislative Director Robert Yavor with the office of Congressman Cresent Hardy (NV-4; sits on the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and Small Business; serves as Vice-Chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, as well as Chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations); the Congressman was scheduled for a pinning ceremony with us, but was called to the House floor for a roll call vote.
— Legislative Director Aaron Calkins with the office of Congressman Raul Labrador (ID-1; sits on the Natural Resources and Judiciary Committees)
— Senior Policy Advisor for Health & Tax Abby Pezzi with the office of Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, CPA (KS-2; CoSponsor H.R.25; sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, serving on both the Health Subcommittee and Trade Subcommittee); Congresswoman Jenkins said a quick “Hello” as she returned to her office after testifying at the tax reform hearing.
The FAIRtax Lapel Pin!
As the old saying goes: “Good things come in small packages.” The FAIRtax lapel pin may be small, but its visibility garners interest and solidarity. I experienced two of those occasions during my trip home to the Dallas, Texas area. At Reagan National Airport, the TSA officer noticed my FAIRtax lapel pin while he was checking my ID and boarding pass; he asked which tax plan, and that gave me the opportunity to quickly explain the FAIRtax. He indicated that a national sales tax makes a lot of sense! In addition, when my husband and I stopped at the Whole Foods grocery store on the way home, the cashier saw my lapel pin, and told me that he supported the FAIRtax. In conclusion, wearing a FAIRtax lapel pin gives our movement visibility, creates interest, and provides an opportunity for solidarity.Show your solidarity; wear a FAIRtax lapel pin! Please join us, and together we can make history!!
Peggy Green-Ernst, MBA
Director, Government Relations
Board of Directors
Americans For Fair Taxation
Peggy.Green-Ernst@FAIRtax.org
#FAIRtax