November 16, 2017
Members of the OSU community,
Many Oregon State graduate students, faculty, employees and administrators have serious concerns regarding tax reform legislation that Congress is presently considering.
I want to let you know that the university is tracking the legislation carefully, engaging with national higher education colleagues on advocacy, and communicating directly with members of the Oregon federal delegation on the university’s priorities and concerns. We are steadfastly working to represent the interests of our community before Congress.
There is a lot at stake in this proposed legislation, which offers the most significant changes to the U.S. tax code in more than 30 years. Some proposed changes could affect members of the OSU community’s individual or household financial interests, the cost of pursuing or paying for one’s higher education, and the cost of administering and operating a public research university like OSU. For your awareness, attached is a chart that provides a brief overview of key provisions that OSU is concerned about in the tax legislation being considered by the House and Senate.
Congressional leaders are working quickly to advance legislation and intend to have a bill enacted by the end of December. Yet, there are opportunities for changes before any legislation is final and OSU will advocate for our community at each step in the process.
Every taxpayer has a stake in tax reform legislation. If you are interested in more information, here are several non-partisan resources:
- House Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Summary
- House Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Section by Section
- Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Summary
- American Council on Education Website with background on what’s important to students, families and university employees
You may wish to contact members of the Oregon Congressional delegation to communicate your personal concerns or interests regarding tax reform. Contact information for offices of the Oregon federal delegation is available on OSU’s Office of Government Relations website.
Over the next few weeks, we will provide updates as additional information is available. If you have additional questions about the legislation — or would like to learn how to engage —please contact Gabrielle Serra, OSU’s director of federal relations at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Edward Ray
President