[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 92 (Wednesday, June 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H5626-H5627]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  ON REPLACING THE FEDERAL INCOME TAX

  (Mr. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, this week on the Committee on Ways and 
Means we are looking at alternatives for making our tax system more 
clear, simple, and fair. There is no longer a question that we should 
revamp our Federal tax system.
  President Carter was right when he stated that our income tax system 
is a disgrace to the human race. In 1914 we had just 14 pages of 
Federal income tax law. Today we have over 9,000 pages. A decade ago 
the IRS commissioned a study that said that it cost $159 billion in 
compliance. Today it cost nearly $500 billion in compliance costs 
alone.
  Today one economist has estimated that last year more hours were 
spent doing taxes than were used to build a car, van, and truck in the 
United States. I look forward to working with my colleagues to design a 
Federal tax system that encourages savings and investment, rather than 
punishing those who plan for the future. [[Page H5627]] 
  Just last year it seemed that the Tax Code maybe would not be 
reformed at all. Now, this year, it is not a question of whether it is 
going to be reformed, but just when and how. We look forward to making 
sure that we have a taxpayer-friendly Code in the future.

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