[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 53 (Monday, April 19, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E687-E688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TAX LIMITATION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. BOB RILEY

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 15, 1999

  Mr. RILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
American taxpayer and in support of the Tax Limitation Amendment.
  The 105th Congress, more than any other, gave the American people 
much needed tax relief. Still, here we are at another April 15 and 
taxes are still too high and the Tax Code is still too complicated.
  This year, just like every year, the average American family will 
work until approximately mid-May to earn enough income to pay an entire 
year's worth of taxes. In a time when we have budget surpluses, that 
fact seems inconceivable. Why have we not yet lessened their burden?
  What is more inconceivable is that this past February the President 
sent us a budget proposal that increased taxes by an incredible $108 
billion. Why?
  Mr. Speaker, I have come to this floor time and time again saying the 
same thing over and over. The ``Tax and Spend'' liberals just don't 
seem to get the message. Well, I will continue to come here to this 
floor and say the same thing again and again until they do. The message 
is quite simple: The American people know how to spend their hard 
earned income better than we do--it's time we lower taxes, not raise 
them.
  I firmly believe that we must protect the American people from those 
would take their hard-earned dollars away at every turn of the hat to 
fund more feel-good programs. In my view, there is only one way to do 
that--make it more difficult for any Congress to increase taxes.
  That's why I support this amendment, Mr. Speaker. It will force 
Congress to finally hold the line on taxes. It is a reasonable, 
straight forward approach that requires only one thing from Congress: 
Before any tax increase on the American people can be passed, a two-
thirds super-majority in both Houses of Congress must agree to it.
  Last Congress we passed the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 which 
balanced our Federal budget for the first time in a generation.

[[Page E688]]

We even managed to give the American people a tax cut in the process. 
The result? We now have projected budget surpluses for years to come 
totalling more than a trillion dollars.
  Mr. Speaker, I don't buy the argument that raising taxes in times of 
emergency would be too difficult or even needed. But even if it were, I 
believe that Congress can and would put aside partisan differences and 
raise taxes in an appropriate manner to meet the nation's needs.
  Draining more and more dollars from private individuals and 
businesses should not be easy. Taking a bigger bite out of the American 
people's paychecks should be just as difficult for that tax-collector 
as it is for us to earn those paychecks.
  Mr. Speaker, we owe it to the American people to pass this amendment. 
We owe it to the American family. It's difficult enough to make ``ends 
meet'' these days. So on this tax day, let's put the final nail in the 
coffin of the days of ``tax and spend'' and pass this amendment.

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