Senate takes 'blank slate' approach on tax reform

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate’s tax writing committee said Thursday they’re starting with a “blank slate” approach to tax reform that envisions stripping the code of every single tax break as a setup to a debate over which ones to add back in.

Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont, and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, say any tax breaks should be restored only if they “grow the economy, make the tax code fairer” or promote some other important policy objective.