Hoosier politicos are offering their thoughts on President Donald Trump’s tax plan which he officially unveiled today in Indianapolis.  Here is the reaction…

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly

  • “I work for Hoosiers, not President Trump or any political party. As it stands, the framework released today is missing many details that will be critical to determining whether working- and middle-class families truly stand to benefit. These Hoosiers will be foremost in my mind as I continue to engage with my colleagues in the Senate and also with the White House to try to craft a tax reform bill that will provide greater economic security to these families and also create and protect jobs here in Indiana.”

U.S. Senator Todd Young

  • “President Trump made a convincing case today that this tax reform package will boost the economy and increase the take-home pay of every Hoosier. For the first time in 30 years, the prospects for a simpler tax code that lowers taxes for the working class and provides relief for small business owners looks good. Let’s seize this opportunity and deliver on our promises to the American people.”

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (CD 2)

  • “Hoosiers deserve a fairer, simpler tax code that makes America more competitive, helps businesses grow and create jobs, and allows families to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. That’s exactly what we’re going to deliver with tax reform.  This framework gives tax relief to middle-class families and simplifies the tax code so they can file their taxes on a postcard. It lowers tax rates on small businesses, helps manufacturers build more American-made products, and makes America more competitive in the global economy. And it puts American workers on a level playing field by ending the incentive for companies to send jobs and capital overseas. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put American families, workers, farmers, small business owners, and manufacturers on a stronger path, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee in the coming weeks to get a bill ready for the president’s signature.”

Congressman Jim Banks (CD 3)

  • “The last time tax reform was passed, I was seven years old and Ronald Reagan was president. Today’s framework is a good first step towards closing loopholes and putting more money in the pockets of Hoosier families. It has been over a decade since our country’s economy has grown by 3%, and this sort of growth is critical to lowering the national debt and balancing the budget. I look forward to working with President Trump and my colleagues in Congress on this important issue.”

Congressman Todd Rokita (CD 4)

  • “I’m ready to reform our nation’s tax code. It will help your wallet and it will help this business and businesses just like it. We have some of the best products in the world, and it’s time our country’s policies give our businesses the ability to thrive.”

Congresswoman Susan Brooks (CD 5)

  • “Now is the time to provide Americans with a tax code that is simpler and fairer. Our tax reform plan, which the President outlined in Indianapolis today, allows Hoosiers to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks leaving them more money to invest in their families, futures, and communities. The President knows that tax reform will keep our country competitive on a global scale. I thank the President for traveling to Indiana today and I applaud his commitment to work with members of Congress on a tax reform plan that will encourage job creation in our country, eliminate unfair special-interest loopholes, and leave more money in the pockets of our middle-class families.”

Congressman Luke Messer (CD 6)

  • “This is a great day for Indiana’s workers and a great day for the American economy. President Trump’s tax plan will bring more jobs, fairer taxes and bigger paychecks to Hoosiers. I’m excited the President is here in Indiana, where we’ve led the nation in delivering the kind of tax cuts and pro-growth policies that get our economy moving. I look forward to working closely with him and anyone else ready to deliver for Hoosier workers.”

Congressman Larry Buschon (CD 8)

  • “Hoosiers know that our nation’s tax code is broken and stuck in the past.  The current system leaves working families and American businesses at a disadvantage.  We need a tax code that is simpler, fairer, flatter, and puts America first.  Today’s framework is a step forward towards delivering real middle-class tax relief and leveling the playing field for American businesses.  As the legislative process moves ahead, I look forward to hearing the concerns of 8th District Hoosiers as I evaluate any tax reform proposal.”

Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma

  • “With one of the top business climates in the nation, Indiana’s economic environment stands in stark contrast to the dysfunction of federal tax policy and job-killing regulations. We’ve worked hard to pass conservative, commonsense policies, which have led to lower taxes and less regulations on Hoosiers and businesses alike. The effects of a burdensome federal tax system that discourages growth trickle down to the American worker through less take-home pay and less opportunity. It’s time for Congress to reform and modernize the tax code, and create an environment where businesses can grow and workers can succeed.”

Scott Pelath, House Democratic Leader

  • “Bipartisan tax reform is a noble effort when it benefits working people and grows jobs without further inflating our national debt.  A simpler, fairer tax code is always a worthwhile goal. While these conditions are simple, they are also strict.  Change cannot simply be for the sake of the rich getting richer as we pass more debt on to our kids.  The right kind of tax reform can be a good thing, maybe even the greatest of things, particularly for those hardworking Americans who are looking to break the cycle of living paycheck-to-paycheck. That said, the president omitted important details that may mean the difference between true middle-class tax relief and just another round of corporate giveaways like we’ve seen too many times before. We also can’t have the president’s tax reform mean a simple giveaway to the rich. This has been the precursor to crumbling roads and bridges, failing schools, and abandoned communities.  “Many questions remain.  Am I confident that President Trump can answer them?  Candidly, I am not.  However, bipartisan efforts in Congress are worth encouraging as long their fruits are fairness and prosperity. If Congress achieves truly bipartisan tax reform, I suspect it will look very different than what the President read off today.”

Kevin Brinegar, Indiana State Chamber of Commerce

  • “The Indiana Chamber is advocating for a plan that will accelerate economic growth and expand jobs, and allow the U.S. to be more competitive with other countries. We believe President Trump’s tax proposal will do just that.  In addition to making things simpler and fairer for taxpayers, the President’s plan is projected to be revenue-neutral after the first few years – due to the enhanced economic growth that’s expected. It’s vitally important to overhaul the tax code to maximize economic growth and not saddle future generations with additional debt.  (Today and tomorrow) We are in Washington along with more than 100 of the state’s business leaders. Collectively, we are urging the Hoosier delegation to set aside partisan concerns and work toward a revenue-neutral, comprehensive reform of the federal tax code.”

John Zody,  Indiana Democratic Party

  • “President Trump is returning to the Hoosier State to tout Indiana’s tax cut-fueled growth, but any accomplishments he’ll mention will surely be news to working families. While some corporations and banks reaped hundreds of millions of dollars worth of benefits, the average income of a family in Indiana is still stuck in the bottom third of states. Meanwhile, the “historic” tax relief that Vice President Pence promised Hoosiers only added up to a paltry $50 per household last year—barely enough for one tank of gas. If President Trump is serious about crafting a deal that helps the working-class men and women who voted for him, he’d be better off using Pence’s tax rules as a lesson in what not to do.   It would be easier to believe that this tax proposal would bring relief to Hoosiers if, after nine months of promises, Republicans had a fully fleshed-out plan that Americans could see—but once again, Vice President Pence, President Trump and their allies in Washington have put more importance on scoring political points than actually achieving results. They’re more concerned with partisan grandstanding than the hard work of compromise and legislating. That’s why, despite control of both the White House and both chambers of the legislature, Republicans are governing their way to the least effective congress in recent memory.”

Barbara Quandt Underwood, National Federation of Independent Businesses (Indiana Chapter)

  • “It was our great honor to have the President in Indiana today. I was fortunate enough to sit with dozens of NFIB members and listen to him unveil the framework for substantive tax reform. Small business owners need meaningful changes that will lower their tax bills, allow them to invest in their businesses, create jobs, and grow the economy. Hearing that this plan calls for reducing taxes on pass-through companies, which represent the overwhelming majority of Hoosier small businesses, is a great step towards achieving those goals and we look forward to learning more details in the future.”