USCHS Honors 90th Anniversary of the Joint Committee on Taxation

The U.S. Capitol Historical Society (USCHS) has sponsored an annual tribute to a House or Senate Committee for the past 19 years. In our 20th year of honoring the work of Congressional committees, we are delighted to have honored the 90th anniversary of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT).

This historic anniversary was celebrated at an evening reception on February 24, 2016, in National Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol. The event began with members of the USCHS Capitol Committee joining Members of Congress, committee staff, staff alumni, and invited guests for hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

The Honorable Ron Sarasin, USCHS president, welcomed the nearly 200 guests and commented that the Joint Committee is “an invaluable resource for the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, other committees with input to tax legislation, and individual Members of Congress. We are proud to honor the committee’s long and important history.”

The evening continued with introductions of the distinguished speakers. JCT Vice-Chairman Kevin Brady (TX) commented that the well-earned reputation of the Joint Committee on Taxation stems from the distinguished leaders and culture of the JCT. JCT Chairman Orrin Hatch (UT) reminded the audience that the committee has far surpassed its original mandate and is essential to the work of the Congress. Ranking Member Sander “Sandy” Levin (MI) shared a story that uniquely highlighted the importance of the expertise of the committee. Ranking Member Ron Wyden (OR) reinforced the fact that the JCT staff is composed of skilled and dedicated public servants.

All of the speakers expressed gratefulness to the staff of the committee for their expertise, honesty, and integrity. The evening was filled with anecdotes and remembrances making it a memorable experience for all.

The celebration continued the following morning on February 25, 2016, with panel discussions exploring the history and role of the Joint Committee on Taxation in the legislative process. Over 120 guests from the national tax community, the Washington policy and advocacy communities, and Congressional staff attended the lively presentations in the Congressional Auditorium of the Capitol Visitor Center. Mr. Sarasin greeted guests after a light breakfast and introduced the moderator for the panels, Ronald Pearlman, who is a former Chief of Staff for the Joint Committee.

Notable participants included: George Yin, University of Virginia School of Law; Joseph Thorndike, Northwestern University and Tax Notes; Bob Shapiro, former JCT Chief of Staff; Randall Weiss and James Wetzler, former JCT staff; Jeffrey Birnbaum, BGR Public Relations and Fox News; John Samuels, formerly of General Electric; and Mel Schwarz, Grant Thornton and former JCT staff.

» The History and Role of the Joint Committee on Taxation: Authors & Paper Titles

These events were made possible because of the generous support of several sponsors:

Beer Institute
Allergan
Altria Group, Inc.
American Express Company
Association for Advanced Life Underwriting
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz P.C.
Capitol Tax Partners
Deloitte Tax LLP
General Electric
Grant Thornton LLP
Kenneth J. Kies
KPMG
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Procter & Gamble
United Technologies Corporation
Washington Council Ernst & Young
Williams & Jensen