Trump to congressional leaders: Tax reform will 'create millions of jobs'

Sept. 5 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday met with congressional leaders at the White House, urging them to speed up the mark-up process so tax reform legislation can be passed.

Less than a week after the president told Congress not to disappoint him on tax reform, he promised an overhaul of the U.S. tax code would "create millions of jobs."

"We're going to reduce taxes for companies, and those companies are going to produce jobs," he said. "Tax reform that follows these principles will create millions of new jobs and ensure that more products are stamped with the very beautiful letters and words, 'Made in the U.S.A.'"

Attending the meeting were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady. Administration representatives included Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, deputy chief of staff Rick Dearborn, and legislative affairs director Marc Short.

A statement released by the office of the White House press secretary said Trump wants Congress to act quickly.

"They discussed House and Senate committee hearings on tax reform and agreed that committee activity should continue so that Congress can move to mark-ups on legislation as expeditiously as possible," the statement said. "President Trump expressed his resolve to encourage action and build public support for the passage of tax reform that creates jobs and raises wages for American workers."

In a speech Wednesday in Springfield, Mo., Trump said reforming the tax code would benefit lower- and middle-class Americans.