[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 20665-20666]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DISAGREE ON TAXING ISSUES

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, as a result of decades of social engineering, 
the United States Tax Code has evolved into a complex maze of 
deductions, credits, exemptions, and special preferences under which 
taxpayers with same incomes can pay vastly different amounts in taxes.
  This uneven treatment of taxpayers is fundamentally unfair and it is 
at odds with the American value of equality under the law.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, Vice President Al Gore's economic plan

[[Page 20666]]

would make things even worse. Although the Vice President claims to 
provide middle class tax relief, he actually provides meager relief 
only to those individuals who agree to live the government-approved Al 
Gore mandated life-style.
  As a result, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday ``families 
earning identical amounts of money would pay widely different taxes and 
families earning more money than others could pay significantly lower 
taxes.''
  Those who choose the Gore life-style get a tax break. Those who 
choose to live their own lives get nothing. For example, if one 
purchases a costly electric car, the Vice President gives one a tax 
break. If one purchases a Ford pickup truck, one gets nothing. That is 
not my definition of fairness. That is not my definition of freedom.
  Governor Bush, however, has a different approach. He believes that 
all Americans are overtaxed and worthy of some relief, even those who 
drive Ford pickup trucks. His evenhanded plan would provide relief to 
virtually every taxpayer. That, Mr. Speaker, is fair.

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