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2013 CEO Growth Agenda Overview

America needs an economic growth strategy to create a business environment that encourages companies to invest, grow and create jobs.

Business Roundtable (BRT) CEOs call on the Administration and Congress to:

  • Stabilize and eventually reduce the federal debt relative to the size of the economy by boosting economic growth and reducing fiscal deficits through, among other steps, comprehensive tax reform and entitlement modernization.
     
  • Unlock private sector investment and job creation through policy measures that capitalize on America’s strengths by: opening markets for international trade and investment; realizing the promise of affordable, abundant energy; promoting smart regulations; reforming the housing finance system; and implementing more effective cybersecurity protections.

    Specific recommendations in BRT’s “2013 Growth Agenda” include:
     
  • Modernize and simplify the tax code by establishing:
    • A competitive corporate tax rate comparable to the average of countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
    • A competitive territorial tax system similar to those of other developed nations.
  • Modernize and reform Social Security and Medicare programs, including by:
    • Increasing the Social Security retirement age from 67 to 70 for those Americans currently younger than 55.
    • Expanding competitive models of care for Medicare recipients by allowing beneficiaries to choose between Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service plan and private plans that would compete for enrollees on the basis of cost, quality and a more innovative benefit structure.
  • Enact comprehensive immigration reform so the U.S. workforce remains globally competitive. Such reform would attract the workers needed across many economic sectors, including hospitality, construction, agriculture and high-tech.
  • Promote a skilled workforce by stressing education in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), implementing the Common Core Standards and streamlining workforce training programs.
  • Streamline the federal regulatory process and expedite federal permitting for major industrial and infrastructure projects.
  • Reform the U.S. housing finance system to:
    • Encourage private lending and investment; and
    • Reform the Government-Sponsored Enterprises.
  • Take full advantage of America’s opportunity to achieve energy self-sufficiency through accelerated development of a more diverse portfolio of reliable, affordable energy resources and efficient energy use.

With a new Congress and Presidential term come new opportunities for cooperation and progress. The time to act for America’s future is now.

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