Read more about the article TPA Submits Coalition Materials in Response to Postal Reform Legislation
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TPA Submits Coalition Materials in Response to Postal Reform Legislation

Dear Members and Staff of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) and numerous like-minded policy groups seek to submit a series of materials to the Committee in response to the Postal Reform legislation introduced by Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.). The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) and its allies find that this latest attempt at Postal Reform amounts to nothing more than window dressing for reform and is a handout for the United States Postal Service (USPS) at the expense of postal customers and taxpayers. By failing to institute structural reforms, the Committee's bill unfortunately amends or maintains several problematic features of the Postal Service that will continue its path toward fiscal insolvency and harming postal consumers.

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Read more about the article Tax Reform Blueprint Sets the Stage for 2017

Tax Reform Blueprint Sets the Stage for 2017

This article originally appeared in Morning Consult on July 14, 2016 Today, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will hold a public hearing where multiple stakeholders will give their input on Treasury’s recently proposed rules and their potential impact. For those unfamiliar, Treasury announced early this spring that, in an effort to combat corporate inversions, it would propose that under Section 385 of the Internal Revenue Code, related intercompany debt could re-defined as equity, changing the tax consequences of the transaction. Business groups along with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have warned Treasury about the broad reach of the rules, which will sweep up even companies with no intention to move abroad. The groups and Congress also warned about the consequences of increased business costs and that the new rules would be an obstacle to job and economic growth.

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Read more about the article Taxpayer-Funded World Health Organization Pushing Plain Packaging in Syria

Taxpayer-Funded World Health Organization Pushing Plain Packaging in Syria

The United States (US) government spends a great deal of taxpayer money on things that the public doesn’t want or need. There are also examples of taxpayer money being wasted on things that go beyond our borders, like funding the United Nations (UN). The UN receives approximately $8 billion every year from US taxpayers with $3 billion of that used for peacekeeping efforts, which is the main function of the United Nations. The other $5 billion goes to fund other various activities including the World Health Organization (WHO), an organization lacking in transparency and common sense. The latest mind-numbing misadventure that the WHO is pursuing is their current effort to get people to stop smoking in Syria. As Syrian rebels try to overthrow a dictatorial regime that is committing war atrocities, the WHO is focusing their efforts in Syria to push plain packaging on tobacco.

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Read more about the article TPA Joins Coalition Urging Fiscal Reforms in NDAA Conference

TPA Joins Coalition Urging Fiscal Reforms in NDAA Conference

Congressional lawmakers will soon be headed to a seven week recess break, there are still many appropriations bills that need to be passed and other issues that the House and Senate have yet to take up with the legislative calendar winding down on 2016. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is one of those issues, and after passing House and Senate versions the bill is now headed to conference where members of both chambers will put together a final version to be voted on later this year. TPA has continued to call for greater transparency, reforming or eliminating the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) Account, and spending reductions in the NDAA. Recently, TPA joined Taxpayers for Common Sense and National Taxpayers Union on this coalition letter urging the NDAA conferees to make major reforms. The letter outlines specific ways that will responsibly reduce spending while making sure to preserve our national defense. Click 'read more' below to see the full letter

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Read more about the article The Las Vegas (Taxpayer) Raiders Looking for a Handout

The Las Vegas (Taxpayer) Raiders Looking for a Handout

This article originally appeared in Inside Sources on July 5, 2016 When a politically well-connected billionaire suddenly develops an interest in enticing an NFL team to relocate to his city, it’s time for taxpayers to hold onto their wallets. Sheldon Adelson, who heads up the world’s largest casino company, is but the latest in a long-line of corporate fat cats with friends in high places who stand to benefit from the public subsidies that flow in the direction of professional football teams. He has set his sights on the Oakland Raiders since that team’s hometown has very sensibly decided against using taxpayer funds to finance a new football stadium.

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Read more about the article TPA Hosts Bipartisan Tax Reform Hill Briefing

TPA Hosts Bipartisan Tax Reform Hill Briefing

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) Yesterday, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) held a briefing on Capitol Hill on comprehensive tax reform titled “Independence Day 2.0: Freedom from our outdated tax code.” There was a lot of interest in the event which is not surprising because tax reform is one of the largest policy discussions happening today. While everyone has a different opinion on how it should be accomplished, there is one thing that nearly all of us can agree on and that is that comprehensive tax reform is long overdue. The event began with opening remarks from TPA President David Williams and a short clip of TPA’s 2016 Tax Day Man on the Street video (you can see the full version here). The video showed attendees and members of Congress that working Americans are frustrated and Congress to fix the broken tax code. Two distinguished members of Congress, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas), spoke at the briefing. Chairman Brady laid out specific details of the tax reform blueprint that he released just a few weeks ago. Chairman Brady stressed the key components of the blueprint including simplifying the code, reducing the corporate tax rate, reforming the IRS, and repealing the death tax. Rep. Flores (R-Texas) discussed the need for comprehensive tax reform and introduced one of the panelists, Rebecca Boenigk.

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Read more about the article TPA Urges Both Political Parties to Unite and Pass Tax Reform

TPA Urges Both Political Parties to Unite and Pass Tax Reform

This article originally appeared in The Hill on July 7, 2016 For the last 30 years, the American people have had to endure a tax system that is overly complicated and stifles the growth and opportunity for workers, business owners, and entrepreneurs. If the United States plans on continuing to be the predominant global economic power, the tax code needs a complete overhaul with new ideas that simplify the entire process and lowers rates across the board so we can unburden taxpayers and allow citizens to live the American Dream. Simply put, we need comprehensive tax reform and we need it as soon as possible.

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Read more about the article Financial Services Appropriations Bill Presents Path Toward Regular Order

Financial Services Appropriations Bill Presents Path Toward Regular Order

Congress is back from their Fourth of July break and the House is moving closer to a vote on the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations (Financial Services) Bill. Aside from the obvious benefit of moving another appropriations bill forward and getting Congress closer to regular order, there are some very noteworthy pieces of the 2017 Financial Services appropriations bill that benefit taxpayers, consumers, businesses and the overall economy. The overall spending levels in the bill show that the House of Representatives is serious about cutting spending. The 2017 Financial Services appropriations bill provides $21.7 billion, which is $1.5 billion below FY16 and $2.7 billion below the President’s request.

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Read more about the article Greater Transparency the First Step to Keeping Americans Healthy and Insured

Greater Transparency the First Step to Keeping Americans Healthy and Insured

This article originally appeared in The Washington Examiner on June 24, 2016 Most government institutions need transparency in order to gain public trust and uphold integrity. However, when it comes to Obamacare and the insurance industry, transparency is pushed aside in favor of secrecy that hurts taxpayers. Such is the case with the 2017 premium increases, where insurers and the government are once again leaving taxpayers and consumers in the dark about how much they will have to pay for health care and causing them to question their trust in these agencies. Earlier this month, a coalition led by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services pressing for more transparency around the 2017 premium increases. As the November presidential campaign continues, those seeking affordable and accessible healthcare are once again being foiled by insurers and the government. Reports have shown that several average premium increase requests in different states for 2017 are well into the double digits. Some states, like Texas and New York, are asking for sky-rocketing increases of up to 60 and 89 percent respectively. This is not the way to drive down healthcare costs for families.

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Read more about the article THE DIRTY DOZEN: Examining the Failure of America’s Biggest & Most Infamous Taxpayer-Funded Broadband Networks, July 2016

THE DIRTY DOZEN: Examining the Failure of America’s Biggest & Most Infamous Taxpayer-Funded Broadband Networks, July 2016

Government-owned internet networks have become a popular trend among state and local policymakers across the United States. More than 450 communities are estimated to have some form of taxpayer-funded, government-owned…

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