[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10841]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 MAJORITY LEADER EXCUSES CORPORATIONS WHO FLEE AMERICA TO AVOID PAYING 
                                 TAXES

  (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, many Americans wonder why this Congress has 
taken no effective action to stop another Enron debacle, and no 
effective action to prevent one multinational corporation after another 
from fleeing America in order to evade its taxes.
  Yesterday, we received the explanation, with all of its customary 
sensitivity, from the Republican majority leader, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Armey), who attacked those of us who have initiatives to 
stop these acts of disloyalty to America by saying, ``This is akin to 
punishing a taxpayer for choosing to itemize instead of taking the 
standard deduction.''
  Most Americans may own a few pairs of Bermuda shorts, but they cannot 
become ``Bermudan'' on April 15 and remain American the other days of 
the year to enjoy the benefits of our American citizenship. I believe 
this Congress needs to speak and act firmly to prevent those who forget 
the maxim of Thomas Paine, a great American patriot, who said, ``Those 
who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigues 
of supporting it.''
  Those who flee and abandon America, denouncing their American 
citizenship, are rejecting all our democracy represents.

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