U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) called for a simpler tax system and urged Congressional leaders to allow a vote for energy exploration Friday during a visit to Kansas City, Kan.
Roberts toured the Grimm construction site at the Johnson County District Water One Treatment Plant in KCK, visiting with employees at the site. The employees of Grimm actually own the construction business through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP.
Roberts told employees that as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, he would do what he could to make conditions more favorable.
“We will talk a lot with tax reform in the coming months,” Roberts said. “We will be very careful in considering ESOPs and small businesses.”
Roberts, acknowledging that “not much will be done” in the remaining 2008 session due to election campaigns, said tax reform could be at the top of the agenda for 2009.
He criticized U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel’s corporate tax proposal, saying it would do ESOPs a disservice.
Up for re-election against Democratic challenger Jim Slattery, Roberts also touched on energy, one of the hottest campaign topics in 2008. He urged Congress to allow a vote on energy exploration, whether it’s finding new oil or new alternative energy forms.
Roberts told the Kansan that he would encourage investigating the fair tax or a flat tax.
“We have to look at it because a large amount of constituents are interested in it,” he said. “They feel both would be a better system but the devil is in the details.”
Although he did not commit to a certain tax system, he called for one that was simpler in nature for small businesses and residents.
“I do believe a tax system should be more fair and certainly more simple,” Roberts said.
He called for the Bush tax cuts of 2003 to be made permanent.
Although he wants a simpler system, he said changing the system would come with “great caution.”
Roberts believes his party has an uphill battle this year.
“We certainly will not get the House back, but we could prevent 60 senators for the (Democratic) majority,” he said.
If the Democrats win that 60th seat in the Senate, they would have a filibuster-proof majority, allowing the party to dictate a more powerful agenda.
Roberts is campaigning against Slattery, a former Democratic Congressman from Kansas. However, on Friday, Roberts did not mention Slattery at all, and only referred to his own campaign once.
Recent polls indicate Roberts has a comfortable lead on Slattery. If he wins, it would mean a third term for Roberts.
