[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 115 (Tuesday, August 16, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      TAXPAYERS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY

  (Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, the IRS said that the Congress should not 
mess with the burden of proof in a tax case: Taxpayers are guilty until 
proven innocent. And they say they need that, and it is justified, 
because it is a ``voluntary compliance'' system.
  Voluntary: The dictionary says voluntary means behaving without 
force, threat, or persuasion. If that is the case, tell me, Mr. 
Speaker, if you do not voluntarily pay your taxes, why does the IRS 
take your bank account? Why does the IRS take your house? Why does the 
IRS take your kids, your lawnmower, your goldfish, your dog?
  It sounds to me, Mr. Speaker, that voluntary compliance sounds an 
awful lot like voluntary manslaughter, if you know what I mean.
  A national poll says that this bill, changing the burden of proof, 
that a taxpayer is innocent until proven guilty, is the highest-rated 
supported bill in almost 10 years. And the American people, 95 percent, 
say they want the law changed; they say the taxpayers should be 
considered innocent until proven guilty.
  I say, Congress would be wise to listen to the American people once 
in a while. Sign discharge petition No. 12. If it's good enough for the 
``Son of Sam''--it should be OK for Mom and Dad.

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