[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 22, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
               IRS REFORM: WELCOME ABOARD, MR. PRESIDENT

  (Mr. ROGAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, during the congressional recess I was back 
home meeting with constituents at townhall meetings. A recurring 
frustration expressed to me was, ``you Republicans are the ones that 
proposed tax cuts, and you got them through; the President, who opposed 
them all along the way, now is taking credit for it. You Republicans 
proposed balancing the budget; the President opposed it all along the 
way, and now he is taking credit for it.''
  I always smile at such comments, because I view it as proof that the 
Republican agenda and ideals are winning.
  Now, with IRS reform at the top of our agenda, we Republicans have 
pledged to the people of this country that we are going to overhaul 
from top to bottom the way the IRS conducts business. We are going to 
simplify the Tax Code, and make what is left of the IRS accountable to 
taxpayers. Since we made this proposal, the President and his advisers 
said they were going to oppose us. They defended the IRS and claimed it 
was running satisfactorily now.
  Lo and behold, today, I picked up the Los Angeles Times. The front 
page story reports that ``after weeks of vehement opposition,'' the 
President ``has made an abrupt reversal'' and is now supporting our 
call for IRS reform.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that in the near future the President 
will forget his original position, and will be taking full credit for 
our IRS proposals, too. When I think of President Clinton's tendencies 
in this regard, I am reminded of the sign Ronald Reagan kept on his 
desk: ``There is no end to what a person can accomplish if they do not 
mind who gets the credit.''
  IRS reform. Welcome aboard, Mr. President.

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