[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 18, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H3517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      THE FAIR TAX AND TAX REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, this year Americans worked almost 100 
days, from January 1 to April 9, to pay taxes at the Federal, State, 
and local levels, which is more than one-fourth of their income. I 
believe that it is totally unacceptable to require already stressed 
families to give up such a high share of their income while bloated 
Federal bureaucracy continues to expand during a severe recession. To 
reduce this burden, Congress should now focus on reforming the current 
complicated tax structure which makes it so much more difficult for 
families and small business owners to experience economic recovery.
  As I called for in my last speech on tax reform, the chairman of the 
House Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Levin), needs to schedule hearings on tax reform simplicity as soon as 
possible. The Fair Tax proposal is one of those ideas that I believe 
the committee must consider. The Fair Tax is definitely a serious 
proposal that is backed by many Americans, including so many 
constituents of my congressional district, and it deserves our full 
consideration.

  The Fair Tax would replace all Federal income and payroll-based taxes 
with a national retail sales tax and includes a rebate to ensure that 
no American below the poverty level pays Federal taxes. If enacted, the 
Fair Tax proposal would provide a dollar-for-dollar Federal revenue 
neutrality. According to the proposal's advocates, the Fair Tax would 
reform the current tax code. Today's tax code is unfair, costly, and 
confusing, and is so complex that many of us pay more in taxes per year 
than we should. It is estimated that the present system costs taxpayers 
$265 billion for tax filing, tax record-keeping, tax reduction advice, 
et cetera, which is $900 for every man, woman and child in America. 
This is taxation without comprehension.
  The current income tax code inhibits economic growth, it inhibits 
capital formation, and it inhibits job creation. Fair Tax supporters 
believe tax reform can correct these problems by greatly reducing the 
high cost of compliance in the present system while lifting the income 
tax burden on production. I believe that a fair and balanced look at 
the Fair Tax should begin the conversation on tax reform, and I 
encourage my colleagues who are serious about having this discussion to 
join me in contacting the chairman.
  Congress needs to remember the sacrifices that are made by each 
American family by making a real effort at tax reform this year.
  As the American economy continues to stagnate with a record 10 
percent unemployment rate, Congress needs to respond by taking a close 
look at tax reform, and yes, the Fair Tax also.

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