[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 80 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        TAX CODE TERMINATION ACT

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                               speech of

                             HON. JIM DAVIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 17, 1998

  Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3097, 
the Tax Code Termination Act. This legislation may sound great on a 
bumper sticker but it has no place on the floor of the House of 
Representatives. This bill would simply terminate the tax code without 
any guarantee that it will be replaced by a simpler, fairer tax system.
  I understand the frustration with the current tax system and 
wholeheartedly agree with those who believe it is overly complex and in 
desperate need of reform. We all know that the current tax code results 
in extreme bureaucratic costs, unintended loopholes, and headaches for 
every American taxpayer. But the answer is to reform the code. The 
answer is to hold substantive hearings on alternative proposals. The 
answer is to take responsible action to improve the system. This bill 
is neither responsible nor substantive and it is neither reform nor the 
answer.
  As elected representatives we have a responsibility to govern. Rather 
than sitting down together and discussing alternative tax systems and 
their relative merits, this legislation takes the approach that if we 
set up a train wreck down the line, we are going to be forced to come 
together and make decisions. Well, we all remember how well the train 
wreck approach worked during the government shutdowns of 1995. 
Unfortunately, the consequences of this game of chicken are far more 
sweeping, putting at risk the entire American economy.
  Mr. Speaker, we should not put our economy at risk for the sake of 
political posturing. We all know passage of this bill will not move us 
one step closer to real tax reform. Let us reject this legislation and 
instead begin a serious dialogue on how best to reform our Nation's tax 
code.

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