Ways and Means Committee Chair Dave Camp (R-MI) and Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) announced on February 13 the formation of 11 working groups to examine particular aspects of the tax code in order to inform the committee’s work on comprehensive tax reform. The working groups are to reach out to “stakeholders, academics and think tanks, practitioners, the general public” as well as other Members of Congress, and “compile feedback” that will serve as the basis for a report by the Joint Committee on Taxation that is due on April 15, 2013.Among the 11 working groups is one on real estate chaired by Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX) with Representative Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) as the vice chair.The full committee held a hearing on the itemized deduction for charitable contributions on February 14. The hearing consisted of 42 witnesses on six panels. The witnesses included multiple representatives of United Ways, as well other educational, health, religious, and other charities. One witness was Mike King, President and CEO of Volunteers of America, an NLIHC member. In his opening statement, Chair Camp reiterated his commitment to transparency and openness as the committee pursues comprehensive tax reform. He recalled the last major tax reform, the Tax Reform Act of 1986, and cited his predecessor, Chairman Dan Rostenkowski D-IL), as conducting that process in an open manner. He again referenced the importance of hearing from all stakeholders.Click here to see the announcement of the working groups. Click here to review the testimony at the February 14 hearing.