John Boozman is Arkansas’s senior U.S. Senator and the dean of the state’s Congressional delegation.
A fifth-generation Arkansan, John was raised in Fort Smith and graduated from Northside High School. He went on to play football for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks while completing his pre-optometry requirements. He graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1977 and entered private practice that same year co-founding a family business with his brother that would ultimately become a major provider of eye care to Northwest Arkansas.
Why it matters: For too long, middle-class Arkansans have struggled in an economy that feels like it is stuck in neutral. An outdated, inefficient and ineffective tax code has played a large role in holding back a full economic recovery.
Where I stand: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 [P.L. 115-97] is the push our economic recovery needs to get across the finish line.
This new law will help hardworking Arkansans keep more of their money in their own pockets by nearly doubling the standard deduction, lowering rates and eliminating loopholes. By permanently reducing the corporate tax rate, currently the highest in the developed world, we will make American businesses more competitive and keep well-paying jobs here at home.
I am committed to ensuring the changes we made to the tax code help increase economic activity, address our national debt and create jobs. Americans deserve a commonsense, straightforward tax system that is easy to understand and will encourage savings and investment. I am confident the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 will accomplish those goals.
I will continue to work with my colleagues on ways to simplify the tax code and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned income.