[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 113 (Wednesday, August 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H6968]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          WHO PAYS THE TAXES?

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, let us have a reality check. How can we 
have a debate about tax cuts without discussing who pays the taxes? 
That is right, who pays the taxes? Now, many people might find this 
quite odd; bizarre, in fact, in circumstances in today's politics, but 
I think most people would have to agree with me that one side never, 
ever talks about who pays the taxes.
  In fact, in all my years of politics, I have yet to hear a Democrat 
talk about who pays the taxes.
  Just this week, I have heard perhaps 100 speeches by Democrats 
attacking the Republican tax relief package and have not heard a single 
Democrat discuss the question of who pays the taxes? This goes without 
saying, of course. None of the networks ever do a story on who pays the 
taxes. For example, I wonder how many Americans are aware of the fact 
that the top 50 percent of income earners pay 96 percent of the Federal 
income taxes. That is right. The bottom 50 percent pay only 4 percent 
of the load.
  Now, just think about that for a second.
  I ask, why do my Democrat colleague refuse to discuss the question of 
who pays the taxes.

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