U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Wednesday hosted Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, at his third annual Economic Forum at Utah Valley University. The event, “America’s Fiscal Future: Tax and Entitlement Reform,” was highlighted by a wide-ranging discussion on the importance the Legislators place on entitlement and tax reform in reining in America’s runaway spending and getting the economy back on track.
Hatch and Camp are the top Republicans on the Committees tasked with writing bills affecting tax policy and Social Security, Medicare, and other entitlement programs.
“With our nation now more than $14 trillion in debt and our economy mired in the worst recession in decades, it is imperative that we get control of entitlement spending and reform our tax code to invigorate the economy and create jobs,” said Hatch. “Few have as good an understanding of these vital issues as Congressman Camp and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, and I am profoundly grateful for their participation. Today’s forum provided Utahns with a unique opportunity to discuss the magnitude of the challenges facing our nation and to propose some common-sense solutions.”
“Because of Washington’s out-of-control spending our debt has grown so large it is dragging down our economy and costing us about one million jobs,” Camp said. “Furthermore, it is time Washington come clean with the American people about the false promises it has made — Medicare is going broke and Social Security is already spending more than it takes in.В If we are going to get this economy back on track, which tax reform can help do, and strengthening programs like Medicare and Social Security to ensure they are around for future generations, we will need people like Senator Hatch who possess the leadership and knowledge to get it done.В I look forward to continuing to work with him and outside thinkers like Douglas Holtz-Eakins to fix Washington.”
A capacity crowd of more than 400 concerned citizens from all across Utah attended the forum.