Bush To Kick Off Reform Program At Blue Ribbon Economic Conference

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

06 December 2004

President George W. Bush last week announced the staging of a high-profile economic conference which will attempt to set the tone for his ambitious policy reforms in the sphere of taxation, social security and the federal deficit for the forthcoming term.

The conference, to be held on the 15th and 16th of December, will feature around half a dozen panels consisting of top level Bush administration members such as vice-President Dick Cheney, and prominent figureheads from the world of business.

According to reports, the conference will be modelled along similar lines to an event held in Waco, Texas in 2002, convened when the economy was struggling to recover from the previous year’s recession, and which is credited for laying the groundwork for Bush’s 2003 tax cut and economic stimulus package.

Announcing the event, White House spokesman Scott McClellan noted: "The conference will be an opportunity to discuss what we must do to keep our economy growing and to make sure America remains the most competitive economy in the world."

On the tax front, Bush has called for a bi-partisan panel that will explore possibilities for change in the US tax code, reporting to Treasury Secretary John Snow, to be established by the end of the year.

However, many commentators and lawmakers have expressed doubt that the President will be able to complete his ambitious program of reforms, which also includes health care reform and changes to the legal system to reduce frivolous lawsuits in just four years, especially given the likelihood of opposition from Democrats and some Republicans to many aspects of the reforms.

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