The two top tax writers on Capitol Hill are warning the Obama administration not to act unilaterally on taxes.
{mosads}Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Wednesday that such a move would be a mistake that subverted constitutional checks and balances, and submarine tax reform efforts.
Hatch and Ryan added that they’ve “been clear that the Congress is willing to work with the administration to find solutions that work for the American people, and help workers and businesses enjoy shared prosperity and increased economic growth.”
“It would be a significant setback if you decided to interpret or implement tax laws based on your political preference rather than the consensus that the tax reform process could produce,” they wrote, adding that unilateral action would also leave the damaging impression that tax laws were unstable.
Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, has said that President Obama had an interest in taking action himself on taxes, though Earnest added that no decisions on that front were coming soon.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) urged the White House in recent weeks to roll back tax breaks used by corporations, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has called on Treasury to crack down on popular tax avoidance strategies.