[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 156 (Saturday, November 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H10352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               IRS REFORM

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, polls have shown that the American people no 
longer trust their government to do, quote-unquote, the right thing 
most of the time. In fact, just over the last 3 decades this country 
has changed so dramatically in that regard. Under President John F. 
Kennedy, approximately 7 out of 10 Americans trusted their government. 
Now only 1 out of 10 Americans do. Only 1 out of 10 Americans trust 
their government to any degree of satisfaction. This is deeply 
disturbing. I think restoring trust in government must be a top 
priority for this Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that the corruption, the politicization and 
the general abuse of the IRS plays a major role in this change of 
attitude on the part of the American citizens. When a government agency 
has the power to bully citizens, to operate with virtually no 
accountability and to make a mockery of our constitutional right to due 
process, it is no wonder that the citizens have grown to distrust their 
own government. I believe that if IRS reform is not passed in this 
Congress, many Americans will consider the 105th Congress to be an 
overall failure.

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