NAW President Dirk Van Dongen is leading the fight to renew Bush-era tax cuts before they expire in 2011. Van Dongen is managing lobbyists for the Tax Relief Coalition, a group comprising more than 1,000 companies and trade groups. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a co-manager, along with five other leading groups in the business community including the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and the National Association of Manufacturers.

The group is opposing President Obama’s proposal to discontinue tax cuts for the highest-earning Americans. "This has to be a discussion about job creation," Van Dongen said, adding that small businesses would be hit the hardest if tax cuts aren't extended. Van Dongen was instrumental in helping craft the first round of tax relief with President George W. Bush in 2000.

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