Tax Writers Warn Raising Revenue Now Could Hurt Overhaul Later

The chief Republican tax writers in Congress are warning that Democratic attempts to raise revenue as part of a deficit reduction package could threaten a comprehensive tax code overhaul.

Representative Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat who is participating in bipartisan deficit reduction talks, reiterated his party’s goal yesterday of raising revenue by eliminating some deductions in the tax code. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, said such efforts would be a “mistake” that could blunt the momentum behind a broader rewrite of the U.S. tax code.