STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY PANEL ON FEDERAL TAX REFORM CHAIRMAN CONNIE MACK AND VICE-CHAIRMAN JOHN BREAUX
~PANEL DEADLINE EXTENDED~

~Tax Panel to Consider Specific Options for Tax Reform~

June 16, 2005

Today the White House released a new Executive Order that extends the deadline for the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform's report to be delivered to the Treasury Secretary from July 31st to September 30, 2005.

Advisory Panel Chairman Connie Mack and Vice-Chairman John Breaux made the following statement:

The President's Advisory Panel has done an incredible amount of work in a short period of time. We have held nine meetings all across the country, heard testimony from nearly 90 witnesses, and we have received more than 4,300 written comments.

We were on track to issue our report by July 31st. Nevertheless, we are comfortable taking additional time to complete our work. We look forward to issuing our recommendations in September and giving this important Presidential priority the full public debate and dialogue that it deserves.

About the Tax Reform Panel:

The President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform was established by President Bush on January 7, 2005. President Bush has charged the bipartisan panel with recommending reforms to the tax code that will make the U.S. tax system simpler, fairer and more growth oriented.

The text of the new Executive Order is below.

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release June 16, 2005

EXECUTIVE ORDER

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AMENDMENT TO EXECUTIVE ORDER 13369, RELATING TO THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY PANEL ON FEDERAL TAX REFORM

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to extend the reporting deadline of the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Section 5 of Executive Order 13369 of January 7, 2005, is amended by deleting "July 31, 2005" and inserting in lieu thereof "September 30, 2005".

Sec. 2. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the United States, its departments, agencies, entities, officers, employees or agents, or any other person.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 16, 2005.

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