[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16896]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               TAX REFORM

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, maybe we can cool things off by talking 
about a little tax reform. What if we had a tax reform proposal that 
would immediately eliminate the marriage penalty, repeal the death tax, 
abolish the punitive alternative minimum tax, eliminate capital gains 
taxes and allow for immediate expensing for business and capital 
equipment?
  Well, in fact we have such reform. In case you missed it yesterday, 
in the Washington Times Steve Forbes talks about Americans deserve a 
flat tax, and believes that the stage is set for fundamental tax reform 
via the vehicle known as the flat tax. Now, fortunately Members of this 
body do not have to wait. They can cosponsor H.R. 1040 introduced last 
March that would provide for a flat tax which is voluntary to be 
available to the American people as soon as it is signed into law. It 
is basically a measure of trusting the American people and giving them 
a choice to opt into a voluntary pro growth system. It does encourage 
investment and savings for the first time in a long time in this 
country. I think it is reasonable to provide another option to the 
American people.
  Mr. Forbes concludes his article yesterday saying America has a great 
future. The flat tax will help us achieve it. I believe it is time to 
trust the American people and allow that to happen.

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