Remembering Bill Archer | Tax Foundation
On the 4th of July weekend, the Honorable William Reynolds Archer Jr. died at the age of 98. Mr. Archer worked in Texas House of Representatives from 1967 to 1971 and the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 2001, including as Speaker of the House. Ways and Means CommitteeThe House Ways and Means Committee, also known as the House Ways and Means Committee, is the main tax-writing committee in the United States. The House Ways and Means Committee has control over all bills related to taxes and other revenue generation, as well as spending programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance, among others. from 1995 until the end of his tenure in government.
“On behalf of all TaxTaxes are mandatory payments or charges that local, state, and national governments collect from individuals or businesses to pay for general government services, goods, and services. The Foundation team, I want to send our condolences to the Archer family,” said Daniel Bunn, president and CEO of the Tax Foundation. “‘Thank you’ will never be enough to cover the legacy that Mr. Archer left behind—not just for the Tax Foundation, but for the entire tax policy community. His commitment to principles, his belief in bipartisanship and fiscal responsibility, and most importantly his commitment to helping future generations, not only leaves our organization a stronger place, but our entire community.”
A two-time recipient of the Tax Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award, Mr. Archer is the first in a series of Was and Means leaders to join the Tax Foundation’s Tax Foundation. blackboardshortly after becoming the chairman of the national tax writing committee.
Mr. Archer’s legacy is second to none. Before he took over the leadership of the Ways and Means Committee, he already had a reputation as a hard-working, nonpartisan policy maker. On the eve of the 104th General Assembly. Houston Chronicle wrote: “Having Representative Archer (as CEO) is good for Houston and the community.” While Houston can’t expect “pork light or special tax breaks,” the History he noted, “even more important to society than Archer’s political virtues was his unsparing reputation for true representation.”
Among Mr. Archer’s many accomplishments in the House of Representatives was the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which provided nearly two decades of budget stability while providing tax relief. It also helps to relax real estate taxThe estate tax is imposed on the value of the taxable person’s estate, after any deductions or deductions, at the time of death. The tax pays the tax itself before the property is distributed to the heirs., expanded access to retirement and health savings accounts, and established the first child tax credits.
Shortly after joining the Tax Foundation, Mr. Archer brought the same optimism to our offices as he has everywhere he has served. During one of our campaigns, Mr. Archer wrote: “I am convinced that to lower taxes, we must win the debate. … The best way to do that is to support the work of the Tax Foundation.”
“Bill was a mentor, an inspiration, and a friend,” said David Lewis, President of the Tax Foundation. “He was a leader who was generous with his talent and time, who had a spirit of public service and who wanted to use tax policy to improve lives and our economy. My prayers are with Archer’s family and all those whose lives he impacted during his extraordinary life.”
Mr. Archer served on the Tax Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2003 to 2017, a tenure with the same generosity and eye for principles that characterized his years in Congress. He left a legacy of policies that shaped the tax code for generations—and an example of public service that the Tax Foundation, America’s America, excels at. To learn more about his life and legacy, please visit Archer Institute.
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