For example, during the shuttle ride from my hotel to the metro station, I engaged in a conversation with two women (one from Iowa and her mother from Pennsylvania), and of course, the conversation turned to FAIRtax and why I was going to Capitol Hill. They were very familiar with the FAIRtax, and they said “it just makes sense” and thanked me for my volunteer work on their behalf — a comment that I often hear. The younger woman is a high school teacher, and shared a story with me. She asks her students how much money they make for their part-time jobs. Their answer is invariably: this is how much my check is. Her response is: yes, but that’s not what you make. Then she explains to them how much was taken out of their check for income tax and payroll tax and then what they really made in wages. As you would expect, the students are very unhappy when they hear that. Now, they have a better understanding of the cost of government that has been hidden from them!
MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Education continues to be my focus, and we are enlisting the help of our CoSponsors. As with our May trip, we continued to meet with our CoSponsors, to show them our appreciation with a FAIRtax “pinning” ceremony, and to discuss how we can further the message. Many of these Members were interested in writing an Opinion-Editorial for our Friday newsletter about why they support the FAIRtax, as well as having Steve Hayes be a speaker at a Town Hall meeting in their local district — both opportunities to educate more constituents about the FAIRtax.
For this trip we were fortunate to meet with 14 of our CoSponsors and to provide them with a FAIRtax lapel pin — our visible public relations on Capitol Hill!! Those Members of Congress are pictured below with Steve and me. In addition, I have provided links below to our state FAIRtax websites, and hope that you will join us as a volunteer to promote the FAIRtax message.
Congressman Randy Neugebauer (TX-14)
Congressman Randy Neugebauer (TX-14, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Financial Services Committee (Chairman of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee); Agriculture Committee (Vice Chairman); and Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Thank you Congressman Neugebauer for your commitment to the FAIRtax, and we wish you well in your upcoming retirement from Congress! Good luck with your fly-fishing!! Also, thank you to our FAIRtax leadership in my great State of Texas!!!
Congressman Mark Meadows (NC-11)
Congressman Mark Meadows (NC-11, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Oversight and Government Reform Committee (Chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations); Foreign Affairs Committee; and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Thank you Congressman Meadows for your support of the FAIRtax, and we also thank our FAIRtax leadership in North Carolina!!
Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5)
Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Education and the Workforce Committee; Government Oversight and Reform Committee (Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on National Security); and Armed Services Committee. Tax Legislative Assistant Caleb Krautter joined us for this meeting. Thank you Congressman Russell for your efforts on behalf of the FAIRtax, and we also thank our FAIRtax leadership in Oklahoma!!
Congressman Mike Pompeo (KS-4)
Congressman Mike Pompeo (KS-4, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Energy and Commerce Committee; and Intelligence Committee. Tax Legislative Assistant Patrick Fleming and Legislative Correspondent Christian Rodrick joined us for the meeting. Thank you Congressman Pompeo for your support of the FAIRtax, and thanks go to our FAIRtax leadership in Kansas!! Some history: We are pictured in the famous “Rayburn Room, which is named for Speaker Sam Rayburn of Texas, is one of the largest on Capitol Hill, beyond the House and Senate chambers, and serves as a ‘holding room’ for visiting officials attending joint sessions of Congress. At other times, it is a place for legislators to meet constituents or to hold news conferences.” We are standing in front of a vase that was given to the House of Representatives by the French government in 1918.
Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-7)
Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-7, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Education and the Workforce Committee (Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee); and Oversight & Government Reform Committee. Legislative Director Jonathan Hirte joined us for the meeting. Thank you Congressman Walberg for your commitment to the FAIRtax, and thanks go to our FAIRtax leadership in Michigan!!
Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-3)
Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-3, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Agriculture Committee; Financial Services Committee; and Science, Space and Technology Committee (Vice Chairman). Tax Legislative Assistant Brad Morris joined us for the meeting. Thank you Congressman Lucas for your efforts on behalf of the FAIRtax, and again we also thank our FAIRtax leadership in Oklahoma!!
Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-2)
Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-2, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Energy and Commerce Committee (Subcommittee on Energy and Power; Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade; and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations). Legislative Director Jonathan Gray joined us for this meeting. We are pictured in a side room, connected to the Energy & Commerce Committee room. Thank you Congressman Mullin for being a vocal supporter of the FAIRtax, and for your Op-Ed article published by us last Friday! Also, again our thanks goes to our FAIRtax leadership in Oklahoma!!
Congressman John Mica (FL-7)
Congressman John Mica (FL-7, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Oversight and Government Reform Committee (Chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets). Policy Advisor Kevan Stone joined us for this meeting. We are pictured in a side room, connected to the Energy & Commerce Committee room. Thank you Congressman Mica for continuing to be a vocal advocate for FAIRtax, and for holding a Town Hall with Steve Hayes as a speaker! Also, thanks goes to our FAIRtax leadership in Florida!!
Congressman Barry Loudermilk (GA-11)
Congressman Barry Loudermilk (GA-11, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Homeland Security Committee; and Space, Science and Technology Committee (Chairman of Subcommittee on Oversight). Tax Legislative Assistant Colin Carr and Deputy Communications Director & Legislative Assistant Caroline Thurman joined us for this meeting. Thank you Congressman Loudermilk for your efforts on behalf of the FAIRtax, and thanks goes to our FAIRtax leadership in Georgia!!
Congressman Bill Posey (FL-8)
Congressman Bill Posey (FL-8, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Financial Services Committee (Subcommittee on Financial Institutions & Consumer Credit, and Subcommittee Housing & Insurance); and Science, Space and Technology Committee (Subcommittees on Space and Oversight). Chief of Staff Marcus Brubaker and Legislative Director Patrick Deitz joined us for this meeting. Thank you Congressman Posey for your commitment to the FAIRtax, and thanks goes again to our FAIRtax leadership in Florida!!
Congressman Jeff Miller (FL-1)
Congressman Jeff Miller (FL-1, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Chairman); and Armed Services Committees. Legislative Correspondent Heather Ham-Warren joined us for this meeting. Thank you Congressman Miller for your support, and best wishes for your retirement at the end of this session! Thanks again to our FAIRtax leadership in Florida!!
Congressman Mark Sanford (SC-1)
Congressman Mark Sanford (SC-1, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Budget Committee; and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Subcommittees on: Aviation; Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation; and Water Resources and Environment). Press Secretary Scott Jeffrey and Staff Assistant Cameron Morabito joined us for this meeting. Thank you Congressman Sanford for your efforts on behalf of the FAIRtax, and thanks goes to our FAIRtax leadership in South Carolina!!
Congressman Andy Harris (MD-1)
Congressman Andy Harris (MD-1, CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: Committee on Appropriations (Subcommittees: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; and Homeland Security). Press Secretary Shelby Hodgkins joined us for this meeting. Thank you Congressman Harris for your support of the FAIRtax, and thanks goes to our FAIRtax supporters in Maryland!!
Congressman Don Young (AK-At Large)
Congressman Don Young (AK-At Large; CoSponsor) serves on the following House Committees: House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and House Natural Resources Committee (Chairman of the Subcommittee on Alaska Native and Indian Affairs). Legislative Assistant Eleanor Gray Mullen and Press Secretary Matthew Shuckerow joined us for this meeting. Thank you Congressman Young for your commitment to the FAIRtax, and thanks goes to FAIRtax leadership in Alaska!!
Additional Meetings with Members of Congress
— Congressman David Jolly (FL-13), pictured below, represents constituent Steve Hayes and serves on the following House Committees: Appropriations Committee (Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs; Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; and Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science). Legislative Director Jenifer Nawrocki joined us for this meeting.
— Congressman Rob Woodall (GA-7, SPONSOR) was in the lobby and rode with us on the elevator to catch up on our FAIRtax activities; and later we met with his Senior Policy Advisor Alex Poirot in the side room of the Energy & Commerce Committee room.
Other Capitol Hill Meetings
Other congressional office meetings were as follows:
— Chief of Staff David Davis and Counsel Sahra Park-Su with the office of House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (TX-8); ALERT: a blueprint for tax reform is scheduled to be released on June 24th!!
— Legislative Director Art Suchorzewski with the office of Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14; serves on the following House Committees: Science, Space and Technology Committee [Chairman, Energy Subcommittee]; and Foreign Affairs Committee).
— Tax Legislative Assistant Hunter Hobart with the office of Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-6; serves on the following House Committees: Oversight and Government Reform Committee; Budget Committee; and Space, Science and Technology Committee); the Congressman is a CoSponsor and was scheduled to meet with us, but he was on the House floor for a roll call vote while we were in his office.
— Policy Advisor Kelly Roberson with the office of Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-6; serves on the following House Committee: Financial Services).
— Deputy Chief of Staff & Counsel Natalee Binkholder with the office of Congressman Mick Mulvaney (SC-5; serves on the following House Committees: Financial Services Committee; and Oversight and Government Reform Committee).
Volunteering for the FAIRtax
Volunteers are the heart of most organizations, and Americans For Fair Taxation relies on volunteers, including our Chairman & President Steve Hayes and me as well as members of our committees, state leadership and countless others. Now is the time to talk to your friends and neighbors (both Democrats and Republicans) about this nonpartisan issue. They will likely respond as so many others do — “a national sales tax makes sense!” Then, they may ask: what can I do? You can direct them to the state FAIRtax websites, and of course, wear a FAIRtax lapel pin — free publicity!
Most importantly, please ask them to join us, and together we can make history!
Peggy Green-Ernst, MBA
Director, Government Relations
Board of Directors
Americans For Fair Taxation
Peggy.Green-Ernst@FAIRtax.org
#FAIRtax