[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               TAX REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak briefly this 
afternoon, in this raspy, cold-driven voice, about the need for tax 
reform in America today.
  I would like to begin my remarks by reading part of a letter from one 
of my constituents, Mr. Gerald Racine, of Green Bay, Wisconsin. This 
letter is one that I believe speaks for a majority of people in 
northeastern Wisconsin and I trust and hope for a majority of 
Americans. He writes:

       Representative Green: We just finished doing our 1998 
     Federal income tax returns and we agree with you that it must 
     be simplified. Doing those calculations seems impossible and 
     when we get done, we don't know if it makes sense. We just 
     keep our fingers crossed that we did it right. Being a 
     retired banker and accountant, we don't feel that we should 
     have to go to a tax expert to file what should be a simple 
     income tax return.

  Mr. Racine, I agree. We have a frightful tax problem in America 
today, Mr. Speaker. Not only do our families pay nearly 40 percent, 
almost half, of their income in taxes, they are also forced to endure a 
difficult, frustrating and confusing maze of paperwork and bureaucracy 
that can challenge even a retired financial expert like Gerald Racine.
  According to the IRS's own numbers, it will take an American who has 
a few investments and itemizes his deductions some 22 hours to file his 
Federal income taxes this year. That is more than a half a week of 
work, and it is 3 hours longer than it took just last year.
  So, Mr. Speaker, as we get this session under way in earnest, let us 
remember that while tax relief is a key priority for us in Congress, 
tax reform is also an issue that must be addressed.
  I am proud to be a supporter of the Date Certain Tax Code Replacement 
Act. This bill would scrap the current Tax Code and enable us to 
replace it with a simpler, more reasonable tax system. It would ensure 
that we have a serious debate in this Nation, a long-overdue debate, 
about what our Tax Code should look like. I believe that new Tax Code 
will be simpler, more fair and less burdensome.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this proposal and in a 
larger effort to reduce and reform taxes for our working families.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his 
excellent statement and remind him that last year the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Armey) and I toured this country and debated in 30 of our 
great cities in America the issue of replacing the current Income Tax 
Code with a simple, fair code, either a flat income tax or no income 
tax and a national sales tax which is a plan that I have espoused. The 
crowds were enormous. Americans are ready for this Congress to act.
  I just had a great conversation with the chairman of our Committee on 
Ways and Means, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer), who is also a 
strong supporter of repealing the IRS and the Income Tax Code and 
replacing it with a consumption tax like a sales tax. He has assured me 
that before he leaves Congress this session he intends to give us a 
chance to not only debate this issue but perhaps even resolve it.
  I want to congratulate the gentleman for being a soldier in this 
quest and wish him the best of luck because not only the people of 
Green Bay but the people of America are depending on us.

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