Tax Reform

Our nation's tax code hasn't been overhauled since 1986. It's overly complex, sorely outdated, and frankly it's making it more difficult for families in West Michigan to achieve the American Dream. 

To remedy this, Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration recently unveiled a unified framework for tax reform that focuses on growing the economy and helping families keep more of their hard earned money. 

This framework helps middle class families by nearly doubling the standard deduction and enhancing the child tax credit, while retaining important deductions such as mortgage interest and charitable donations.

For more information on the tax reform framework and how it will provide relief for West Michigan families and job creators, please visit FairandSimple.GOP.

Protecting the Unborn

Scientific evidence has established that unborn children are capable of feeling intense pain 20 weeks post conception. Currently, the United States is one of only seven countries across the globe to allow elective late-term abortions. This is appalling. The United States of America should not be ranked alongside China and North Korea when it comes to protecting the unborn.

Last week, the House passed Micah's law, legislation to promote a culture of life and ending elective late-term abortion. Protecting a defenseless child from this cruel procedure should garner overwhelming bipartisan support. I am proud to vote in support of this measure and I will continue to defend those who cannot speak for themselves.

The Tragedy in Las Vegas

The events that unfolded in Las Vegas are as sickening as they are tragic. My heartfelt prayers go out to those individuals affected as well as the families impacted by this senseless act. I also want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank our first responders for their brave actions in the midst of this chaos.  

As an avid sportsman, I believe in a strong and robust defense of the Second Amendment. However, fully-automatic weapons have been banned with little exception since 1986. Equipment that modifies legal firearms to the point where their rate of fire becomes synonymous with fully automatic weapons needs to be examined. I recently discussed this important conversation with WOOD TV. Click the picture below to watch their newscast. 

Staying Connected

Last Wednesday, I held a live Facebook Town Hall discussion about Micah's Law, Puerto Rico, tax reform, and the tragic events surrounding Las Vegas. If you don't already like or follow me on Facebook, I encourage you to do so. This will allow you to receive a Facebook notification for the next live discussion. You can watch the most recent update by clicking the picture below. 

A Forward Looking Approach

With our nation’s debt surpassing a whopping $20 trillion, not only do we need to cut spending and reform government, we must also grow our economy. The budget passed last week by the House achieves all three of these objectives by balancing in 10 years, reducing the deficit by $6.5 trillion, and laying the groundwork to enact tax relief for hardworking families. By reforming our nation’s outdated tax code, small businesses can create more jobs, employees can receive bigger paychecks, and we can reduce our debt and deficits faster.

Lastly, this budget seeks to reduce waste by eliminating $700 billion in improper payments made by the federal government with instructions for Congress to identify an additional $203 billion in mandatory savings and reforms. These are the serious steps we need to take today to ensure a better future for our children and our grandchildren tomorrow.

The Michigan Minute