Registration remains open for BakerHostetler’s 24th Annual Tax, Budget and Health Care Policy Seminar taking place on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 in Washington, DC. The emphasis of this conference is to provide insight to enable business owners and decision makers to effectively plan for tax and health care costs affecting businesses. For those responsible for or involved in such matters this conference has been described as “A Who’s Who in Politics.”
UPDATE:
On June 12, 2013, BakerHostetler sponsored the 24th Annual Tax, Budget and Health Care Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. The event, which was co-sponsored with the Federal Policy Group and the Yale Club, featured a broad array of distinguished speakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate, including members from the House Ways and Means Committee, House Budget Committee and Senate Finance Committee.
The issue of tax reform was a central theme throughout the event. House Speaker John Boehner stated that he and House Republicans remain committed to overhauling the tax code and noted that Americans spend more than $500 billion a year in compliance. Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp underscored the need to overhaul the tax code and shared that he and other members of Congress were taking active steps to bring about comprehensive tax reform by the end of this year. Specifically, Chairman Camp stated that his plan was to set a revenue-neutral target of reform, to have the corporate tax rate at 25 percent and to establish two individual tax rates at 10 percent and 25 percent.
Other members of the House and Senate who spoke at the event were in general agreement on the need for tax reform, with several speakers highlighting the difficulty and costs involved in complying with the current tax code and the need for more action by the White House. Chairman of the House Budget Committee Paul Ryan also stated that fundamental tax reform was a top priority and that House Republicans were looking at low rates — broad-base rate structures that still allowed for some fiscal space for tax expenditures.
Noting the complexity of tax reform, several speakers discussed their concerns regarding other issues that would impact the tax reform debate, particularly the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the development of the Keystone pipeline, taxation of medical devices and deductibility of various expenditures, such as charitable contributions.
The event, which is held annually, provides a unique opportunity for leaders in private industry to hear directly from congressional leaders as to what policies and proposals regarding tax, budget and health care issues are currently being considered by Congress. The speakers this year were: Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA); Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI); Senator Rob Portman (R-OH); Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI); Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND); Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA); Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI); Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-MN); Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI); Congressman Pat Tiberi (R-OH); Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL); Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO); Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR); Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA); Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX); Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner (R-OH).
A short video synopsis of the conference is now available for online viewing:Policy Seminar Highlights >>
