Last week, I joined my congressional colleagues in National Statuary Hall in the Capitol for the unveiling ceremony of the life-size bronze statue of famed inventor, entrepreneur, and Ohio native - Thomas Edison. Sculpted by Alan Cottrill of Zanesville, the statue depicts Edison with his ubiquitous light bulb and was selected as Ohio’s newest figure after 48,000 Ohioans casted their voted on whom the state should honor on Capitol Hill.

Thomas Edison is a prime example of what Americans can accomplish when left to do what they do best. Born in Milan, Ohio in 1847, Edison was born a budding entrepreneur. As a boy, he sold newspapers to train passengers, served as a telegraph operator during the Civil War, and, at 21, invented an electronic vote recorder for legislative bodies, similar to what Congress uses today. After moving to New Jersey in 1868, he built his own research facility and, over the next several decades, he produced a number of wondrous inventions including the light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera. At the end of his storied career, he had applied for an incredible 1,093 U.S. patents and today still inspires millions.

This dedication, and our remembrance of Edison’s genius, could not come at a better time and reminds us in this election season that top-down government does not spur innovation. It is the dedication, hard work, and intellectual prowess of American workers and small businesses that drive our economy. That is why we must pursue policies, such as lowering taxes, which reward hard work and allow businesses and workers to thrive just like Edison before them.

Our current, obsolete tax code is in need of desperate reform to unleash the American innovation Edison so perfectly embodied. Of all developed nations, the United States has the highest corporate tax rate and is one of only three OECD countries to have not cut its corporate tax rate since 2000. Income taxes remain stubbornly high for poor and middle class Americans. We need a tax platform that fosters growth, encourages investment, and puts more money in families’ pockets.

That is why I introduced my tax plan Simplifying America’s Tax System (SATS). SATS ensures a level playing field for all businesses and will keep more companies, investment, and jobs in the United States. This pro-growth plan repeals the corporate income tax and replaces it with a 7% tax on business activities, subjecting all business to one level of income taxation, leveling the playing field. Additionally, SATS lowers income tax rates for all taxpayers, consolidating today’s seven brackets into just three and ensuring a family with an income under $100,000 pays no more than 10% in income taxes.

My tax plan has been evaluated by the non-partisan Tax Foundation and, if enacted, will raise the GDP by over 5%, create nearly 2 million new jobs, and increase after-tax incomes by more than 2%, all without significant impact on government revenue. I believe that your success should be up to you, not the tax code, which is why I am fighting to reform it. Edison was right when he said, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” It is time to reward Americans for their hard work and ingenuity and make this country the best place in the world to build, grow and do business.