Jul 13, 2016 | Events
At an event on promoting economic growth amid a populist backlash, Alex Brill discussed the impact of the corporate tax on workers: “Politicians have used the tax policy debate in campaigns for forever, and they generally use tax policy ideas in a very direct way: ‘My tax plan will affect your tax bill this much — directly.’
Jun 7, 2016 | Op-Eds
On July 1, the state of Vermont is set to impose a $1,000 per day per product fine on any food manufacturer who fails to disclose on the product label if any ingredients contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The effect of the new law will be to reduce choices for consumers, limit supply, and increase food prices. And these consequences will be felt far beyond the tiny state’s borders.
Jun 2, 2016 | Events
In an event following the release of FDA’s May 2016 “deeming rule,” which applied tobacco regulations to e-cigarettes, Alex Brill examined Congressional aspects of public policy related to the deeming rule and to e-cigarettes more broadly. Specifically, he looked at what Congress intends to do about e-cigarettes, focusing on three questions: First, what are congressional attitudes about the deeming rule and e-cigarette regulation generally? Second, is it a partisan issue? And third, looking beyond the deeming rule, how will Congress affect e-cigarette use more broadly in the future? “I think that the next battle that Congress will look to tackle with respect to e-cig products is the tax question,” said Brill.
May 9, 2016 | Op-Eds
Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall between the United States and Mexico has been widely criticized. But the Obama administration is building its own wall around the United States. The Obama wall is built of rules that inhibit U.S. firms from pursuing inversions to escape the punishingly high US corporate tax rate. Both walls will harm Americans.
Apr 27, 2016 | Testimony
S ESOPs, which are defined contribution retirement plans that allow employees to become owners, are increasingly popular in the US…. S ESOPs exist across a wide spectrum of industries and include a meaningful number of US employees. As the US seeks to rebound from a period of tepid productivity growth, tools such as S ESOPs can improve worker commitment, reduce worker turnover, and lower production costs.