[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 20, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H9250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS

  (Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, there is a taxpayer bill of rights coming 
to the floor. Let me say this: There can be no real taxpayer bill of 
rights as long as after it is all over a taxpayer is still considered 
guilty in front of a tax court. That is what is happening.
  The IRS is successful once again. They have killed it for years. They 
say the major problem with the Traficant bill is it is too costly and 
the Government will lose too much revenue.
  Let me ask this of all people here in Washington, DC: If some 
bureaucrats in a backroom would have scored the Constitution, would we, 
in fact, have a bill of rights today, ladies and gentlemen? Grand 
juries are too costly, juries are too expensive.
  Let us tell it like it is. The Democrats abandoned taxpayers on this 
issue. In my opinion Democrats failed. I am a Democrat.
  Republicans have a chance to right a major wrong. A taxpayer should 
be innocent until proven guilty like anybody else, and I should have a 
chance to bring my bill in the form of an amendment to that taxpayer 
bill of rights.


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