Washington, D.C. – During the tax-writing U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on business tax reform, U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) shared with the witnesses how Nevada’s small businesses are poised to benefit from tax relief by allowing them to better compete and create more jobs, and that workers will likely see increased wages as well as more job opportunities.

Click here or the image below to watch the exchange.

[Click HERE or above image to play].

Heller recently outlined his priorities for tax relief in an opinion piece published earlier this month in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Below is his opening statement as prepared for delivery:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for holding this hearing today.

For too long, Nevada’s—and America’s—small businesses and companies have been at a competitive disadvantage due to our outdated and unfair tax code.

A Nevada business owner recently told me that our tax system makes it difficult for him to compete. Another Nevadan wrote me and said that we need fix our tax code in order to attract businesses to our country and drive up wages for American workers.

Our current tax code distorts the marketplace, drags down the economy, and prevents America’s job creators from staying and hiring at home.

Just last month, I hosted Treasury Secretary Mnuchin at a tax reform roundtable in my home state of Nevada.

There, we met with some of the Silver State’s top job creators, and time and time again, we heard the same thing: Nevada needs lower tax rates on businesses.

Lower rates will mean a faster growing economy and increased international competitiveness.

Lower rates will also mean more jobs, better jobs, and higher wages, all of which the middle class desperately needs right now.

Just last week it was announced Nevada leads the nation in private sector job growth at 3.6 percent.

Imagine what our state, and country, will unleash when Congress delivers tax relief.

After eight years of historically low growth under the previous Administration, it’s time to get our economy back on track and help our workers and small businesses win on the international playing field.

And I look forward to working with my colleagues to make that happen.