E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 142 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1996 No. 48 House of Representatives The House met at 9:30 a.m. and was complicated machinery. Under it men will be I believe that the current system has called to order by the Speaker pro tem- haled into courts distant from their homes. divided the Nation because it says, pore [Mr. DICKEY]. Heavy fines imposed by distant and unfamil- that if you work hard and make a good iar tribunals will constantly menace the tax- living you should be punished. To all f payer. An army of Federal inspectors, spies, and detectives will descend upon the State. those who say the current system is DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO fair I would like to point out a recent Unfortunately, I believe the gentle- TEMPORE Readers Digest poll which found that man's prediction was right. Americans believe that no one should The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- We in Congress have created a sys- pay more than 25 percent in taxes and fore the House the following commu- tem that has grown from 11,000 to 7 that is Federal, State, and local com- nication from the Speaker: million words, from 14 pages to over bined. And this feeling was universal WASHINGTON, DC, 9,000, and now has 480 different tax across race, economic, and gender April 16, 1996. forms that require an additional 280 I hereby designate the Honorable JAY DICK- lines. forms to describe the first 480. I don't EY to act as Speaker pro tempore on this I believe it is time to create a tax believe this system is either simple or day. system that promotes freedom. Free- NEWT GINGRICH, fair. I will ask anyone to tell me that it is dom to me means a system that is fair Speaker of the House of Representatives. and simple, encourages savings and in- f simple and fair when they can explain why 50 different tax experts, given the vestment, is efficient, drives the econ- MORNING BUSINESS same return for a family of 4, come omy, provides opportunity for all and back with 50 different answers. puts more money in your pocket. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- That is why we will introduce a reso- ant to the order of the House of May 12, And why does it take over 115,000 IRS agents to enforce this Tax Code. Does lution to repeal the 16th amendment to 1995, the Chair will now recognize the Constitution. The American public Members from lists submitted by the anyone realize that there are more IRS agents than are employed by the Envi- will see how destructive our tax system majority and minority leaders for really is. I believe as Abraham Lincoln morning hour debates. The Chair will ronmental Protection Agency, the Oc- cupational Safety and Health Adminis- did that ``with public sentiment, noth- alternate recognition between the par- ing can fail; without it nothing can ties, with each party limited to not to tration, the Food and Drug Adminis- tration, and the Drug Enforcement succeed.'' That is why I call on Con- exceed 30 minutes, and each Member gress and the American people to help except the majority and minority lead- Agency combined. I have to agree with Fred Goldberg, us pull up the income tax system by its er limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. roots and replace it with a system that The Chair recognizes the gentleman the IRS Commissioner under George Bush who said: gives everybody the chance to succeed from Texas, Mr. SAM JOHNSON, for 5 in attaining the American dream. minutes. The IRS has become a symbol of the most intrusive, oppressive, and nondemocratic in- f f stitution in a Democratic society. TIME TO CREATE A TAX SYSTEM Not to mention overly complex, economi- ISSUES CONGRESS SHOULD cally destructive, unprincipled, inefficient, ADDRESS THAT PROMOTES FREEDOM and discriminatory. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Discriminatory because, as stated by Jus- Speaker, I found a statement by Rich- tin Morrill, a Member of this body back in the Speaker's announced policy of May ard E. Byrd, who was speaker of the 1866, in this country we neither create nor 12, 1995, the gentleman from New Jer- Virginia House of Delegates from 1908 tolerate any distinction of rank, race, or sey [Mr. PALLONE] is recognized during color, and should not tolerate anything else morning business for 5 minutes. to 1914, which was the time when the than entire equality in our taxes. income tax began. He predicted and I Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I think Even the Founding Fathers were op- quote: many of us know that for the last few posed to any politics based on income weeks we have been in our districts. A hand from Washington will be stretched differences, because they feared it The House has not been in session until out and placed upon every man's business; the eye of the Federal inspector will be in would lead to class warfare. They be- yesterday evening. Of course, it is an every man's counting house * * * the law lieved that comity and tolerance opportunity to talk to your constitu- will of necessity have inquisitorial features, among the States and classes were the ents on a daily basis and get their * * * it will provide penalties, it will create preconditions for a unified country. input. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H3389 H3390 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE April 16, 1996 What I found overwhelmingly was a cation funding to hire teachers or to floor today to pay tribute to a young feeling on the part of my constituents pay for teachers' salaries or whatever, woman, a young woman by the name of in my district in New Jersey that this they either have to lay teachers off, as Gail Dobert. Gail Dobert was lost by us House of Representatives and this Con- many have now or give notice of lay- on April 3 in the tragic airplane crash gress under the leadership of Speaker offs, or increase their local property in Croatia that took the life of Sec- GINGRICH and the Republicans is not taxes to make up the difference. retary Ron Brown and 33 others. This getting the job done. That is what is happening in the morning I take the floor to talk about My constituents expressed concerns State of New Jersey. Many of our con- Gail and the promise that Gail rep- about health care, whether or not they stituents are going to be going to the resented. were going to have affordable health polls today voting on school board Mr. Speaker, literally tens of thou- insurance or any health insurance at budgets that are higher because they sands of young people come to Wash- all; they expressed a great deal of con- cannot expect the Federal aid that ington, DC, every year, with the hope cern about the environment, because they normally would have. What that of promise for the excitement and the we are now getting close to the sum- means is that property taxes go up for opportunity to be part of this Govern- mer season. My district is very depend- many of them and property taxes are ment. Whether it is the government of ent on shore tourism. For the last few already too high. There has been a lot Ronald Reagan or George Bush or years we have seen significant, at least of talk about taxation by the Repub- Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton, they in the last 10 years, we have seen sig- lican leadership around here, but they come to this town because they are nificant improvement in our water have not mentioned the fact they are caught up in the excitement of a living quality, and they do not want to see actually increasing property taxes be- and vibrant democracy and wanting the clock turned back on environ- cause of the cutbacks in education very much to be a part of that democ- mental protection. funding. racy. They are also concerned about edu- On the issue of the environment, as I rise today to pay tribute to Gail. cation. Today in my district in New you know, next Tuesday, or next Mon- Gail Dobert was a Department of Com- Jersey we vote on the school board day I should say, will be Earth Day. We merce official. Her family of Moriches, elections and the budgets. Property will be celebrating, I believe, the 26th Long Island, a very wonderful family, taxes are going up in many municipali- Earth Day. Over the last 25 years, on a who described themselves as Kennedy ties, and there is concern about a lack bipartisan basis, there were major ac- Democrats and said that they are of State and Federal aid to help and complishments to protect and improve thrilled by Gail's participation in the provide property tax relief. the protection of the environment. political process. Along with many of They are also concerned about jobs. Water and air quality have improved. my neighbors on Long Island, I was They are concerned about whether or But if you look at the record of this deeply saddened when we learned of the not pension, health care benefits, are Republican Congress and the Gingrich loss of Gail and Secretary Brown and going to be available, and whether they agenda over the last year, they have so many others on that tragic day.