The U.S. Constitution requires that all laws to raise revenues for the Federal government must originate in the House of Representatives.  House rules require that these bills move through the Ways and Means Committee, making it one of the most powerful committees in Congress.  Congressman Blumenauer became a member of Ways and Means in 2007 and is the first Oregonian to sit on the committee since 1995. Read an article from the Oregonian about Congressman Blumenauer's position on the Ways and Means Committee.

The Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over several key areas:

• Tax and revenue measures;

• Social Security programs, including senior and disability insurance, Medicare, and social service programs;

• Bonds and other forms of government-issued debt;

• International trade agreements; and

• Oversight of all law and agencies falling under the Committee’s jurisdiction, such as the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, and aspects of the Department of Commerce.

• Advancing tax justice, closing loopholes, and seeking balance and equity in the tax code so that middle income earners do not pay more than millionaires;

• Paying down our national debt — currently at over $9 trillion and growing;

• Preventing cuts to Medicare benefits and ensuring a more robust program for the record number of seniors now relying on it;

• Working to advance responsible trade policies that meet the needs of working Americans, the environment, and the poor at home and abroad;

• Reforming poorly conceived and burdensome taxes;

• Protecting the competitiveness of American businesses;

• Creating environmental incentives to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and to advance renewable energy technologies; and

• Ensuring that communities have the resources they need to grow and develop.

• Select Revenue Measures

• Trade