[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NOT HERE TO RAISE TAXES
(Ms. SALINAS asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. SALINAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the so-called Fair Tax
Act.
Right now, Oregonians don't pay a single cent in sales tax. Ask
anyone and they will tell you: It is a good thing. We rejected such
proposals multiple times. It protects working folks who are
disproportionately impacted by the undue burden of spending additional
dollars on basic necessities.
I am not here to raise taxes on Oregonians. That is not why my
constituents sent me here. I am here to help working folks get ahead,
which is why I am so troubled by this congressional proposal to mandate
a 30 percent sales tax.
This is far from fair. It is not even close. The top 1 percent may
not sweat a 30 percent sales tax, but for working families, that could
be the difference between putting food on the table or having to go
without.
I stand today to redirect our attention to the pressing needs of
Oregonians: the need to lower costs and fight inflation, not to raise
taxes. That is what I am focused on, and I urge my colleagues to do the
same.
____________________