Wichita Standard

Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas), chair of the Ways and Means U.S. Innovation Tax Team, provided an update on the team's summer activities and announced 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 Kansas' 4th District to meet with local business owners, innovators, and workers to discuss how they were impacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), what is at stake when many TCJA provisions expire next year, and what sort of tax policy they now need to help their businesses grow.

Rep. Estes visited CNH Industrial in Wichita as part of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Express Bus Tour. He shared with attendees how the U.S. Innovation Tax Team advocates for tax policies supporting R&D that drives innovation in American manufacturing.

At the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association's Annual Convention in Wichita, Rep. Estes spoke with oil and gas producers about how tax policy impacts energy policy.

During his visit to Ardent Mills in Wichita, staff explained how their Emerging Nutrition division uses R&D to provide more consumer choices.

Rep. Estes also visited The Smart Factory @ Wichita to observe engineering advancements aimed at growing U.S. manufacturing through innovation.

At Cypress Imaging in Wichita, discussions centered around upcoming tax expirations affecting medical care and imaging industries.

In rural Kansas at Harper Industry, company leadership discussed how recently expired R&D immediate expensing credits have hindered growth impacting small community employment.

On KNSS radio, Rep. Estes discussed TCJA expiration impacts on American innovation.

Speaking at the Wichita Pachyderm Club, he shared calculations from the Tax Foundation indicating an average increase of $1,930 for 4th District Kansans due to TCJA expirations.

He also participated in a Kansas Farm Bureau Agricultural Leadership Breakfast at the Kansas State Fair discussing next year's tax reform implications for agriculture.

On Friday, Rep. Estes will join Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith and U.S. Innovation Tax Team Vice Chair Michelle Steel for meetings with innovative companies in Silicon Valley.

The U.S. Innovation Tax Team plans to release a white paper later this fall summarizing solutions surfaced over recent months.