Permanent Breaks
At the same time, Wyden is known for his calls to reduce corporate tax rates to make the U.S., where the 35 percent rate is one of the world’s highest, more competitive with other countries. He joined Hatch and Representative Kevin Brady, the Texas Republican who chairs the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, in sponsoring the 2015 “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes” bill. That legislation extended or made permanent an array of deductions and tax breaks, including research and development credits, and was signed by Obama in December.
Lindsey Held, a spokeswoman for Wyden and the finance panel, declined to specify what issues Fleischer will be working on. He’ll be a co-chief tax counsel to the committee’s Democrats, working in tandem with a current staff member, Tiffany Smith.
“International competition is our overarching goal,” Held said. Hiring Fleischer signals Wyden’s effort to bring “external vision” to a tax overhaul, she said.