Statement on implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement

Today I issued the following statement on the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement:

“Today, Iran--the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism--will receive sanctions relief from the U.S. and the international community for allegedly taking steps to scale down its nuclear program. It is almost impossible to verify these actions, and we remain highly skeptical that the regime will follow through on any agreement. In the past month, Tehran has repeatedly violated international law, including testing ballistic missiles, seizing U.S. personnel, and firing rockets near U.S. ships. It is clear that the nuclear agreement has emboldened the regime, a foreseeable outcome that drove Congress to oppose the nuclear deal in the first place. As Iranian hardliners, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, reap the financial windfall of this agreement and use it to meddle in places throughout the world, the United States must be prepared to confront further Iranian aggression.”

Overhauling taxes and State of the Union response

This week I introduced in the House of Representatives a bill—the American Business Competitiveness Act (ABC Act)—that will reform the business tax code. Actually, my bill doesn't reform the code as much as it totally abolishes it and replaces it with some clear, simple rules that everyday, small-business owners can actually understand without help from accountants and lawyers.

A key feature of the bill is that it eliminates all the loopholes and special deals that riddle the business tax code. It treats all businesses equally, no matter their size or how they're organized, so that startups and small businesses can compete with bigger businesses on a level playing field. It would also boost economic growth by an estimated 7.3 percent and create more than a million jobs. You can read my article on the bill here and get more details about it here.

Separately, I watched President Obama's State of the Union speech this week in disbelief as he tried once again to put a smiley face on our deteriorating national security situation. Personally, I don't believe his plan to take in thousands of refugees from ISIS-infested Syria is in our national interest, and I don't think Iran's recent seizure of American sailors was a U.S. diplomatic victory that warranted top U.S. officials thanking Iran for its supposed cooperation. You can read my statement on the State of the Union here. 

Scrapping the business tax code

Today I introduced a bill to overhaul the way businesses are taxed. It would drastically simplify taxes, encourage startups, and create a level playing field for small businesses to compete with bigger firms. The Wall Street Journal covered it here.