Rep. Dave Camp discusses tax code rewrite at Ferris

BIG RAPIDS – With national debt at more than $15 trillion dollars and President Barack Obama calling for a rewrite of the tax code, the public is hoping Congress will not rely too much on tax increases to balance the federal budget.

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, visited Ferris State University on Tuesday to share his ideas for creating a simpler tax code that would maintain current levels of federal revenue.

“Part of the reason I think tax reform is important is (because) not only do we have expiring provisions, not only has it become complicated, but there is a big amount of uncertainty out there,” said Camp, who has represented Michigan’s 4th District for 22 years. “I believe that if we can simplify our code, if we can lower rates and also make it fairer, what it would mean is that … you would have a more transparent and more constant tax rate regardless of what activities you choose to engage in.”

BUDGET UPDATE: U.S. Rep. Dave Camp discusses his ideas for a federal budget and tax reform on Tuesday at Ferris State University. The Political Engagement Project set up the presentation. (Pioneer photo/Lauren Fitch)

Ferris’ Political Engagement Project invited Camp to campus for his presentation on “Republican reformers and Democrat presidents.” Camp, who is the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, gave an update on Congress’ budget discussions and talked about income, business and international taxes.

Many current tax provisions are set to expire at the end of the year, which would cause a $4 trillion increase in taxes unless the provisions are extended. Camp is proposing a more long-term revision of the tax code, including the elimination of many provisions and loopholes. He would like to see the tax rate capped at 25 percent, and he does not support higher taxes for millionaires or other provisions designed for specific groups. The last significant tax reform was passed in 1986.

“It’s important that we do more than just target one group,” Camp said. “When the Congress tries to target one group, they often miss and hit everybody else.”

A vital aspect of developing an effective tax code is taking into account public input, he added. The House has held 15 public hearings on the subject so far. House Speaker John Boehner, who took the position in 2011, instated a ban on earmarks, required bills to have a public hearing before coming to the House floor and required the public have three days notice of proposed legislation before representatives vote on it.

Members of the audience were invited to ask Camp questions, and they raised concerns about members of Congress receiving benefits not available to the general public, that large corporations are not paying their fair share of taxes, international trade and transportation.

Ferris President David Eisler asked Camp to address student debt. More than 50 percent of Ferris students receive federal Pell grants.

At this point, Camp said, the government is trying to maintain its support for Pell grants and continues to look for a way to make higher education more affordable.

“The problem is that as student loan debt caps have gone up and Pell grant funds have gone up, tuition has also gone up,” Camp said. “We haven’t really been able to get ahead of the problem.”

Growing the economy and improving the job market would give recent college graduates a better chance of getting jobs and being able to manage their student debt, Camp said. The federal government has its own debt that it should be trying to pay down while interest rates are low, he added.

“No one person has the answers,” Camp said. “No one party has the answers. No one House, Senate or president has the answers.”