President Donald Trump is calling the U.S. tax code "self-destructive" and says he'll work with Congress on a plan to simplify it and "dramatically" reduce income taxes for Americans.
In a Labor Day op-ed submitted to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Trump outlined his goals for a new U.S. tax plan.
Trump writes: "Our plan will dramatically reduce income taxes for American workers and families. It will nearly double the standard deduction to help families get ahead. It will make our complex tax code more simple and fair. It will put money back into the pockets of the people who earned it."
Congress is expected to take up the issue when it returns from its August recess this week.
Administration officials have said that lowering personal and business tax rates will lead to millions of new jobs and spur faster economic growth.
After eight months without any major legislative victories and after a significant defeat on health care, Trump and Republican congressional leaders face mounting pressure to notch some significant achievements before next year's midterm elections. But the tax overhaul effort already is facing political headwinds.
The White House and Republican lawmakers have not finalized details of the plan, and the push comes as Congress returns to face an intense September workload filled with must-do items such as raising the debt limit, funding the government and providing assistance for the Harvey recovery effort.
While the White House has been designing a tax plan aimed at appealing to Republicans, Trump sought to cast the effort in bipartisan terms. He previously called on members of both parties to work with him on a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver real tax reform for everyday hard-working Americans."
The Trump administration released a one-page set of goals in April for its tax overhaul, followed by a joint statement in July with congressional leaders.
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