[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5319]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              TAX FAIRNESS

  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, tax day is a dreaded deadline 
for millions of Americans. But according to the Associated Press, for 
nearly half of the U.S. households it is simply somebody else's 
problem. This April, 47 percent of Americans will pay no Federal income 
tax at all. According to a new report, the top 10 percent of earners 
will pay roughly 73 percent of the income taxes collected by the 
Federal Government. That is just not fair.
  Being an American is a privilege, not a right. Out of fairness, 
everyone should have to pay some tax, even if it is just a buck a 
month, to help pay to live in this great democracy. By pushing more and 
more people off the tax rolls and having just a few foot the bill for 
the many, we are punishing hard work, thrift, and sacrifice.
  This is America, where prosperity and helping your fellow man should 
mean more than just paying your neighbors' taxes. It's about fairness 
and freedom.

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