[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 79 (Friday, June 14, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1061]]
PROPOSING A TAX LIMITATION AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED 
                                 STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 12, 2002

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to make a speech that I 
should not have to make. I rise to discuss a constitutional amendment 
that should not have made it to this floor. In short, this debate is a 
waste of my time, your time, and the American taxpayer's money.
  Let me be more specific. H.J. Res. 96, the Tax Limitation 
Constitutional Amendment, has been brought to the House floor for a 
vote seven times in the past seven years. Each time, year after year, 
it has failed to gain the \2/3\ majority needed to pass. I expect that 
this year will be no different.
  But let's suppose that this year is different. Let us imagine that 
some of us decide to give in to political expediency and decide to vote 
for a constitutional amendment that will impair our legislative duty to 
determine the proper tax rate for the American people and for our 
government. Would it pass the other body? Undoubtedly, no. Would it 
pass the state legislatures? Doubtful.
  Why then do the Republicans continue to bring this legislation to the 
floor? Do my colleagues on the other side of the aisle believe that we 
do not have more important things to talk about? That homeland security 
and the reorganization of our intelligence community can wait another 
day or even another hour for us to waste our time on this worthless 
amendment? That the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are out of 
work right now and about to run out of temporary unemployment relief 
can hang on a few more days while we entertain the pigheaded decision 
to reintroduce this legislation for the seventh time in so many years?
  Maybe some of my colleagues suppose that in defiance of precedent and 
simple math that this amendment will miraculously pass this year? I 
guarantee you it will not. That said, I call on my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle to vote against this amendment and to refrain from 
wasting our time and the time of the American people with this 
legislation in the future.

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