Press Releases

Today, Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas), chair of the Ways and Means U.S. Innovation Tax Team, released an update on the Team’s summer activity and upcoming site visits in Silicon Valley. 
 
“Here in the United States, we’ve invented everything from the air conditioner to the zipper. Our country is full of innovative people and businesses, and we need to give them the tools and tax code to unleash their ingenuity,” said Rep. Estes. “Over the past several months, the U.S. Innovation Tax Team has had numerous conversations with American business leaders and innovators from companies of all sizes who all say that our tax code should do more to encourage homegrown research, experimentation, development and innovation. Building and expanding on the successes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is what our Tax Team is working to achieve.” 
 
During August and September, Rep. Estes traveled throughout the 4th District to meet with local business owners, innovators and workers to discuss how they were impacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, what is at stake when many of these TCJA provisions expire next year and what sort of tax policy they now need to help their businesses and workers grow and succeed. During these visits, Rep. Estes also highlighted specific policies that would help bolster research and development, leading to new American jobs and new tax revenue.

• Rep. Estes visited CNH Industrial in Wichita to see the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Express Bus Tour, which celebrates the hardworking men and women in the equipment manufacturing industry who power our communities. He shared with attendees and CNH workers how the U.S. Innovation Tax Team is advocating for tax policies that support the R&D that drives the innovation at the heart of American manufacturing. South central Kansas has flourished as a manufacturing hub and can maintain this competitive edge with the right tax policy.
• At the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association's Annual Convention in Wichita, Rep. Estes spoke with many of the Sunflower State's hardworking oil and gas producers and highlighted the impact tax policy has on energy policy. 
• During Rep. Estes’ visit to Ardent Mills in Wichita, staff explained how their Emerging Nutrition division uses R&D to work to provide more choice to consumers. Even the hardworking Kansas farmers who feed our community and world benefit from policies that favor research and development.
• Rep. Estes was able to take in the incredible engineering advancements happening at The Smart Factory @ Wichita, which is quickly becoming a destination to help grow U.S. manufacturing through innovation and collaboration. 
• At Cypress Imaging in Wichita, Rep. Estes discussed the upcoming tax expirations and what they would mean for the medical care and imaging industry.
• In rural Kansas at Harper Industry, the company’s leadership explained how the recently expired R&D immediate expensing credit has hindered growth, which in turn impacts residents of the small communities that are employed. Harper Industry has witnessed impressive growth and expansion and wants to maintain a significant presence in the community they call home. Rep. Estes talked about how a pro-growth tax policy that encourages innovation can help locally-owned businesses grow, boosting rural parts of Kansas.
• On KNSS, Rep. Estes discussed the expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the impact to American innovation.
• Speaking to the Wichita Pachyderm Club, Rep. Estes shared the Tax Foundation’s calculation of the impact of TCJA expirations on 4th District Kansans, which is an average increase of $1,930. He also shared about his work chairing the U.S. Innovation Tax Team.
• Rep. Estes participated in the Kansas Farm Bureau Agricultural Leadership Breakfast at the Kansas State Fair, highlighting the impact on the ag community that next year’s tax reform discussions will have.

On Friday, Rep. Estes, Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith and U.S. Innovation Tax Team Vice Chair Michelle Steel will be in Silicon Valley for a series of meetings with some of our nation’s most innovative companies. 
 
To share and promote the solutions and ideas that surfaced over the last several months, the U.S. Innovation Tax Team will join the other Ways and Means Tax Teams in releasing a white paper later this fall.

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