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Earmark Moratorium, Flat Tax Among Policy Goals

By Bluey Posted in Congress | Congress | Earmarks | Energy | Flat Tax | Republicans | Spending — Comments (49) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

House Republicans will unveil their economic agenda tomorrow with proposals to end earmarks, simplify the tax code and increase energy production. The GOP's agenda should excite conservatives, who will recognize many of the policy goals as long-sought objectives.

For the past 18 months in the minority, Republicans have struggled to unify around a specific set of policy goals. Their economic agenda comes one month after they promoted an "American Families Agenda." Two other policy plans will be unveiled in the coming months.

The centerpiece of the economic agenda is spending and tax reform. The proposal calls for an "immediate moratorium on congressional earmarks," which constitutes remarkable progress for House Republicans. The GOP was unable to arrive at that goal earlier this year following its retreat. But after pressure from Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), conservatives apparently won over Boehner, who has long opposed pork-barrel projects. (Note: Although this plan would impose a moratorium on future earmarks, conservatives are still insisting on one this year.)

On tax reform, Republicans are proposing a "two-tier flat tax system that can be filed on one page," a bold move that moves beyond tinkering with the existing tax code. While it certainly won't satisfy FairTax supporters, it differs drastically from anything Democrats have proposed. Americans will be dealt the largest tax increase in history if liberals have their way in Congress.

Other goals that are noteworthy include:

• Passing entitlement reform that addresses the problems facing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
• Balancing the federal budget by 2012 without raising taxes.
• Prohibiting federal spending from growing faster than the economy.
• Extending the current welfare work requirements to food stamps and housing.
• Making portability a central component of health care reform.

Here are complete details of the economic agenda:

1. A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL LOWER GAS PRICES

• We’ll lower gas prices by increasing supply, expanding environmentally sound production of American energy, promoting new technologies to deliver new, cleaner energy and provide incentives to increase our energy efficiency – implementing energy reforms long delayed at America’s expense by short-sighted Democratic politicians.

2. A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL CUT THE PORK

• We will restore fiscal responsibility in Washington by reining in spending, passing meaningful entitlement reform and balancing the federal budget by 2012 without raising taxes.
• We will enact an immediate moratorium on congressional earmarks and establish a bipartisan panel to fundamentally reform how Washington spends taxpayer dollars.
• We will reduce the size of government, make it more efficient and transparent while eliminating eliminate duplicative or wasteful programs.
• We will limit the growth of federal spending to a level families can afford by adopting a spending limit that would prohibit federal spending from growing faster than the economy except in time of war or national emergency.
• We will eliminate the exclusive tax breaks Democrats have given rich trial lawyers, and enact reforms to stop lawsuit abuse and prevent American jobs from being destroyed by abuse of the legal system.

3. A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL STOP THE DEMOCRATIC TAX HIKE

• We will stop the largest tax increase in American history on workers, parents, married couples, small businesses, and those saving for retirement. We will offer new tax breaks for Americans – including eliminating the unfair Alternative Minimum Tax and making the Internet permanently tax-free.
• We will end a tax code that is too long, too complex and too unfair by providing individuals an alternative, two-tier flat tax system that can be filed on one page. Taxpayers can choose the new, simplified system or stay with the current tax code—whichever option suits them.
• We will make the tax code more family-friendly by reforming the child tax credit and lowering taxes on retirement benefits.

4. A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL FIX A BROKEN WASHINGTON TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH

• To encourage a welfare safety net that fosters marriage and work, we will extend many of the current welfare work requirements to other programs – namely food stamps and housing – so that those who are not old, young, or disabled are either working in the private sector or serving in their community.
• We will strengthen education by supporting increased state and local control and flexibility, increasing parental options through school choice, and encouraging states to provide extra support for good teachers through teacher performance pay initiatives.
• We will tear down barriers that prevent U.S. products from being sold abroad. We will reject policies that retreat from world trade and segregate America from the rest of the world, in favor of policies that level the playing field for American employees and employers and give our workers the ability to go toe-to-toe with workers overseas.
• We will level the playing field for American workers and start importing jobs here by cutting taxes on American industry.
• We will strengthen homeownership in America through a series of reforms that encourage home purchases and help needy homeowners who are truly victims.
• We will reform and improve our current health care system. The House GOP health care reform agenda, to be unveiled in detail in the coming weeks, will include reforms that will help small businesses deal with skyrocketing health care costs and help patients by broadening the array of health insurance choices available to them by allowing them to purchase health plans available in other states.