By: Sarah Tewksbury, Editor-in-Chief
With a backdrop of corrugated cardboard boxes, adviser to the President, Ivanka Trump, joined Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza in a warehouse to discuss tax reform on Friday. Sitting in Volk Packaging in Biddeford, the three responded to topics of discussion facilitated by former Republican representative Nan Hayworth from New York. With just under 250 invited guests at the forum,
Acting as moderator and opening up the conversation, Hayworth introduced the panelists, each of whom detailed why tax reform was such a significant aspect of their work.
Trump’s talking points were broad and focused on large-scope issues. Her first objective during the forum was to highlight the necessity of “streamlining, modernizing and simplifying” the U.S. tax code. Noting that data has shown large percentages of Americans as being confused and believing taxes are too complicated, Trump called for a substantial overhaul of current tax code, saying “it has been over thirty years since meaningful tax reform has happened.” The plan the Trump administration has for the simplification of taxes is two-fold, according to Trump. The first goal is to enable businesses of all size capacities “to be competitive and thrive.” The second intention is to provide purposeful tax relief to middle-income families.
The effects the changes to the tax code will have on Maine was highlighted by Collins, who contended that fair and equal standards for workers and businesses will help promote the vitality of the U.S. economic system. “Given a level playing field, American workers will prevail every time,” Collins said.
During the scripted, hour long conversation Hayworth asked Trump, “Ivanka, I wonder if you could tell us just a bit more about specifically how the administration envisions how you foster economic growth and how tax reform fits into that total picture?” Trump’s lengthy response honed in on the overall Trump administration’s direction for deregulation of businesses, incentives for companies to move business ventures back to the domestic market and the development of the workforce.
“I think the administration’s general sense on pulling back overreaching regulations and a pretty aggressive deregulation viewpoint–not all regulation is bad–but a lot of regulation does not achieve the intended goal and places tremendous burden on business, particularly small businesses that doesn’t have the margin or the ability to deal with overreaching regulations,” Trump said. “I think the combination of deregulation with pro-growth policies coming out of the White House, workforce development, skills training, technical education being priorities that we’re focused on as we think about developing the workforce to enable our American citizens to be able to thrive in the economy.”
Calls for bipartisanship came from all three panelists. Carranza distinguished that the issue is one that neither concerns only Democrats or only Republicans, but one that requires a “unified effort to [reform taxes] right.” Collins and Trump agreed with Carranza and also stated that they felt tax reform policy changes would effectively be made with bipartisan reaches across the aisle.
Bringing the event to a close, the three political advocates distinguished their support for the tax reform plan. Trump mentioned her perception of the benefits to the current proposition for reform.
“So when you think about what’s been eliminated, it’s the loopholes, the things that the lobbyists have inserted over the years and when you think about the things that have remained, the credits that have remained intact, it’s those who have large constituents but no lobbyist group in supporting families and that’s what we want to see in tax reform, not the credits that benefit very specific industries but the credits that benefit the American people and American families,” Trump said. “So I’m very excited about where the debate is today. Hopefully the bill only gets enhanced from this point forward and I think it is very consistent with the president’s goal of supporting American working families.”
As attendees stood and applauded the exit of Collins, Trump and Carranza, consultation and debate considered the event to be productive and considered the continuation of discussion about tax reform imperative to effecting policy change.