The chairmen of the two Congressional tax-writing committees will say thank you, thank you very much today to folks in Memphis, Tenn., for their suggestions on how to overhaul the tax code.
Finance Committee Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) start their day with an 8 a.m. conversation at the Sullivan family farm in Oakland, a community of around 7,000 east of Memphis.
The Congressmen want to hear from the Sullivans about their tax experiences and how they manage their farm's finances.
After that chat, Baucus and Camp will head into Elvis' hometown to take care of tax business at FedEx Express headquarters.
At the shipping giant's world hub, they will hold a round-table discussion with FedEx representatives and customers from the small
business community.
Tracking the tax tour: This is the fourth stop the duo has made to talk taxes with individuals and small and large companies.
The Max and Dave Tax Reform Road Show kicked off July 8 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and ended the month in Philadelphia and a nearby New Jersey township. In August, the lawmakers headed west, getting tax reform ideas from high tech firms in Silicon Valley.
Baucus and Camp insist the chances of accomplishing tax reform are good. Others on Capitol Hill, however, don't agree.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer
(D-Md.) told Politico that he is less-than optimistic that the current Congress will be able to overhaul the tax code. Tax reform legislation is a long shot, according to the number 2 House Democrat, "unless we can forge an agreement between the
White House and Congress, which is unlikely."
But Baucus and Camp insist they will push on.
Don't get all shook up if the tax tour doesn't stop in your town. In addition to keeping track of their progress here at the ol' blog, you can check out the pair's Comprehensive Tax Reform website. or by following their Twitter account @simplertaxes.
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