[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S5027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            TAX FREEDOM DAY

  Mr. MACK. Mr. President, I am here today because finally, Tax Freedom 
Day has arrived--the day the average American has earned enough income 
to cover his or her Federal, State and local taxes for the year. Only 
today--after one-third of the year has already passed--have our working 
men and women earned enough money to pay their taxes for the year! This 
is truly amazing, and it is also truly wrong.
  Tax Freedom Day has moved successively later into the year for the 
past 7 years, as the Federal Government seeks to claim a larger and 
larger portion of the American family income. Since 1993, Federal tax 
revenues have grown 52 percent faster than personal income growth. And 
last year alone, Federal revenues grew 80 percent faster than personal 
income.
  Florida's Tax Freedom Day is even later--Floridians will not finish 
earning enough to pay their taxes for the year until Friday, May 14. 
They also shoulder the 5th heaviest total tax burden in the country.
  In 1999, Federal, State and local governments are projected to 
collect an average of $10,298 in tax revenue for every person in the 
country. This year, the Federal Government will collect more tax 
revenue as a share of GDP--that is 20.7 percent--than at any time since 
1944. This is the highest level in peacetime history.
  If that isn't enough to put the high Federal tax take into 
perspective, let me share with you a few examples of just how much 
taxes impede our freedom every day of the year.
  I brought with me a daily tax clock to illustrate just how many 
different times we are taxed in ways we may not even realize. Think 
about the different things you do in the course of your average day. 
Planning your family's summer vacation? Forty percent of the cost of an 
airline ticket is taxes! When you drive to and from work today, 54 
percent of the price of a gallon of gasoline is taxes. Did you call 
your mother on Mother's Day? Fifty percent of the cost of your phone 
bill is due to taxes.
  Taxes infringe on our freedom--our freedom to work, our freedom to 
invest and our freedom to provide for our families. It is more apparent 
than ever that the mammoth Federal Government we have created will 
never be satisfied--if there is money to be had, the Federal Government 
will take it.
  That is why it is more important than ever to provide tax relief to 
our families. We have a balanced budget, and soon we will be working 
with a Federal surplus. If the Federal Government has its way, this 
overpayment of taxes by the American people will be spent in Washington 
on new Federal programs. We need to give the American people their 
money back. I have proposed a tax plan which will do just that by, No. 
1, providing tax relief for all American income taxpayers, No. 2, 
encouraging economic growth and, No. 3, ensuring U.S. technological 
leadership in the 21st century.
  We need to ensure the United States keeps its status as an economic 
powerhouse in the next millennium. The Federal Government's role in 
ensuring this happens is to cut taxes and get out of the way to give 
the American people the freedom to pursue their own dream--not 
Washington's.

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