[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 7, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4763-S4764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AMERICA IS ON MY MIND

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I thank the Chair and thank my good friend, 
the distinguished Senator from Texas, for allowing me to speak for 
about 5 minutes leading off today. Again, when we come to this time of 
the year, America does weigh strongly on everybody's mind, because I 
rise today to celebrate tax freedom day.
  Actually in Montana, it comes around May 3, but I did not get around 
to getting my work done on time, and I would like to talk about that 
just a little bit. The average American will work 128 days this year to 
pay for the Federal, State, and local taxes and sets a new record high 
for this country at 38.2 percent of his or her yearly income.
  Now, think about that a little bit. We wonder why our bank accounts 
do not grow and our savings accounts are almost nonexistent, and we 
think about stagnation. It is not really stagnation, it is trying to 
pay for this moderately huge Government that was talked about back in 
January by our President who said the era of big government was over, 
and now he says ``it is kind of over.''
  In my State of Montana, for an average family of four making around 
$39,000, $40,000 a year, to average it out, Federal taxes come to 
$7,400. Total State and local taxes are around $5,700. Mr. President, 
$13,216--and this has all been verified--is the tax burden of that 
family of four living in my State of Montana. One-third--one-third--of 
the money they earn is going to the support of government. And we 
wonder where our money goes.
  So the President's words ring sort of empty. The words do not match 
the actions. Then we have to decide whether we want to go on with this 
kind of rhetoric, because he vetoed the balanced budget, he vetoed the 
tax cut, he vetoed welfare reform, he vetoed product liability--all 
those contribute to a mounting, mounting tax burden. Contrary to 
popular belief, government has not always been big or moderately huge, 
as this would indicate.

[[Page S4764]]

  Back in 1925, freedom day was February 6. In 1945, it was April 1. 
And in 1965, it was April 14. On the average, since World War II, the 
date has moved up nearly a week every decade.
  One has to ask oneself, when does it stop? I know we work on averages 
in this body, and it seems to me that if you had one foot in a bucket 
of ice and the other in the oven, on the average you should feel pretty 
good. But we know that does not always work, that there is somebody who 
falls through the cracks. Basically, that is what is happening to our 
society today.
  We are all very familiar with the 1993 tax increase, and now is the 
time to give part of it back to America's working families. The Clinton 
crunch has to come to an end, despite the rhetoric we hear out of the 
White House. Taxes must come down, spending must be restrained, and 
government must be put on a budget, and I mean a balanced budget.
  Now is the time to do it. With America on my mind, let us not let 
another day be added next year to the burden of this year. Let us work 
to move it back a day or two. Let us dedicate ourselves, because there 
are a lot who think this is the most important debate of this century, 
and we need the help of the American people because our country has to 
figure out a way to eliminate this devastating debt that we are passing 
on to our young.
  Let us put our Government back on a balanced budget. Let us make 
Government work for the people instead of the other way around.
  I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas [Mrs. Hutchison] is 
recognized for 60 minutes.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Thank you, Mr. President.

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