Congressman leading charge to change how Americans fill out taxes
CONROE, Texas (KTRK) -- Congressman Kevin Brady has his plate full. In addition to everything else going on in Washington D.C., he told Eyewitness News Monday in an exclusive interview he's leading the charge to make it so that most Americans can fill out their taxes on a postcard.
Rep. Brady has served the state's eighth congressional district for 20 years. During the last six of them, he's been working to reform the nation's tax code by simplifying it and lessening the burden on those he thinks pay too much.
"The American people, certainly in Texas, they're sick of what we have right now," he said during a conversation in his Conroe office. "They're starving for a fairer, simpler tax code."
Brady is chair of the powerful Ways & Means committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He's leading the charge for reform that would lessen the tax brackets from seven to three and make it so that most Americans could fill out a post card to pay.
RAW VIDEO: Rep. Kevin Brady sits down for one-on-one with ABC13
"We don't want to do temporary tax cuts because you don't get the growth, or the jobs, or the paychecks out of that," he said of the reform plan. "So we're looking to redesign the code."
Brady knows reform isn't easy -- just look at the failed Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. He said he hopes Congress takes another shot at it, and he called on the Senate to do its part in working on a compromise that works and that President Donald Trump can sign into law.
He believes repeal and replace is possible, but that time is running out because of rising premiums.
"I'm still convinced we need to create more affordable health care," he explained. "We need far more options for people, and take control out of Washington."
Brady said he doesn't see the same Washington chaos that so many read and hear about. He said he's too busy working, though he acknowledges the executive branch is different from what anyone is used to seeing.
"It is unconventional," he said of the president's social media habits. "And no I don't like every tweet. But, I'll take those moments where I disagree with him, as I do every president, but I also really appreciate the fact that in our areas, on tax reform especially, he's all in, he's committed, and he's working together closely with us and that's all you ask of a president."
Brady said he is hopeful tax reform will get a vote on the floor of both chambers before the end of the calendar year.
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