President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform

The President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform was established January 7, 2005, by President George W. Bush via Executive Order. 

Advisory Panel Purpose
In accordance with the EO : "The purpose of the Advisory Panel shall be to submit to the Secretary of the Treasury in accordance with this order a report with revenue neutral policy options for reforming the Federal Internal Revenue Code. These options should:


 * simplify Federal tax laws to reduce the costs and administrative burdens of compliance with such laws;
 * share the burdens and benefits of the Federal tax structure in an appropriately progressive manner while recognizing the importance of homeownership and charity in American society; and
 * promote long-run economic growth and job creation, and better encourage work effort, saving, and investment, so as to strengthen the competitiveness of the United States in the global marketplace.


 * At least one option submitted by the Advisory Panel should use the Federal income tax as the base for its recommended reforms.

Panel Members

 * Connie Mack III, Chairman
 * John Breaux, Vice-Chairman; former U.S. Senator. Senator Breaux served on the Finance Committee and the sub-committee on Taxation and IRS Oversight.
 * William Eldridge Frenzel; former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; served on the Budget Committee and the Ways and Means Committee; Guest Scholar, Brookings Institution.
 * Elizabeth Garrett, Professor of Law, University of Southern California; served as Legislative Director and Tax and Budget Counsel to former U.S. Senator David L. Boren.
 * Edward P. Lazear, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution and Professor of Human Resources, Management and Economics, Stanford University's Graduate School of Business; founding editor of the Journal of Labor Economics.
 * Timothy J. Muris, Foundation Professor, George Mason School of Law and Of Counsel, O'Melveny & Myers LLP; served as Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission 2001 to 2004.
 * James Michael Poterba, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Associate Department Head; taught at MIT since 1982.
 * Charles O. Rossotti, Senior Advisor, The Carlyle Group; Commissioner of Internal Revenue 1997-2002; formerly served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of American Management Systems.
 * Liz Ann Sonders, Chief Investment Strategist, Charles Schwab; Managing Director and member Investment Policy Committees, U.S. Trust division, Charles Schwab, 1999.

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Bush administration
 * Social Security privatization
 * The Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults
 * U.S. economy
 * U.S. tax cuts
 * U.S. unemployment