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Foxx Report
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Last week many hard-working North Carolinians confronted the complexity of the federal tax code firsthand as they filed their taxes for 2016. Between mountains of paperwork, complicated codes and the fear of fines, paying taxes every year is a huge burden for hardworking Americans.
Republicans are committed to achieving reform that brings our tax system into the 21st century and is designed with the aim of economic growth. As we gather ideas from families and individuals, it’s clear that the new tax system must simplify and lower tax rates, in most cases making returns simple enough to fit on a postcard. For small businesses, the new tax system must eliminate the burdensome and costly Adjusted Minimum Tax. For businesses and corporations, the new tax system should provide incentives for them to keep earnings, investments, and most importantly, jobs in the United States.
For more information about our plans for pro-growth tax reform, visit https://waysandmeans.house.gov/taxreform/.
Review of K-12 Regulatory Policies
On Wednesday I attended a ceremony at the White House where President Trump signed an executive order requiring the Department of Education to review K-12 regulatory policies. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is leading the way in reducing the federal footprint in our K-12 schools, and I have long worked to get Washington bureaucrats out of our nation’s classrooms. We made important progress in the Every Student Succeeds Act by empowering parents, reining in the Department of Education and restoring authority to state and local leaders. This executive order will help us take another step forward in this important effort.
A top-to-bottom review of the department’s regulatory policies will help identify other areas where Washington, D.C. is imposing its will on America’s schools. This problem has persisted for decades, and we must do everything we can to prevent the federal government from micromanaging our schools. I commend President Trump for his leadership, and the committee looks forward to working with Secretary DeVos to ensure this regulatory review delivers the results students, parents, teachers, principals and taxpayers deserve.
Improving Accountability in Higher Education
This week the House Committee on Education and the Workforce met to discuss ways to strengthen accountability in higher education by improving the accreditation system. Accreditation is a non-governmental, peer review process created by colleges and universities to review and improve the academic quality of postsecondary institutions and programs. The hearing helped committee members gain a better understanding of the challenges facing the accreditation system as well as how we can tackle those challenges. By working together — Congress and accreditors — we can improve the accreditation system, ensuring a balance between flexibility for institutions and accountability for students and taxpayers.
Fannie and Freddie Open Records Act
Following the financial crisis in 2008, taxpayers bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the tune of $187.5 billion. If Fannie and Freddie were to default, the American public would be responsible for $400 billion in losses on their investments and $5 trillion in mortgage liabilities.
This week the House passed H.R.1694, the Fannie and Freddie Open Records Act of 2017, which applies the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to Fannie and Freddie and allows the American public the right to know what these entities are doing with taxpayer dollars. These entities cannot continue to enjoy the benefits of taxpayer funding and liability while escaping the accountability of transparency under FOIA.
5th District Congressional Art Competition
Voting for the 2017 Congressional Art Competition, which is a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize talented young artists and promote the valuable role meaningful art plays in our society, will begin on Monday, May 1, at noon and will end on Monday, May 8, at noon.
As in years past, the online community will decide this year’s winner. Following the submission deadline, a photo of each student’s artwork will be posted on my Facebook page. The piece that receives the highest number of “likes” will win, and the artist will have the opportunity to travel to the U.S. Capitol for the installation of his or her work. Two runners-up also will be selected, and their artwork will be on display in one of my district offices.
What’s Coming Up?
Next week the House will take up legislation from the Education and the Workforce Committee, which I chair, that empowers workers and modernizes federal workplace policies. The House will also debate legislation to fund the government.
Sincerely,
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