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[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 70 (Monday, May 1, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4435-H4436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                      RECESS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 1995, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOSS. Madam Speaker, the House has just completed a district work 
period, as Members know. Members are returning to Washington as we 
speak. The district work period is a time we all go home and listen to 
what the people we work for have to say. We reflect on what has been 
accomplished here in Washington. We report back to them. We get a 
little bit of a report card on how things should be done and 
instructions about what it is that the people that we work for would 
like us to try and achieve as we go forward with the congressional 
agenda.
  This year's spring break tragically, as we all know, was overshadowed 
by the terrible bomb blast that occurred April 19 in Oklahoma City. Our 
hearts and our prayers go out to the victims, their families, the 
entire Oklahoma community, and all the extraordinary Americans who have 
rallied together in this time of crisis. So many people were touched by 
this tragedy. Even in remote southwest Florida that I represent the 
grief was felt in families who lost loved ones who were killed in the 
blast. We certainly applaud the efforts of the President, Federal and 
local law enforcement, and Members of this Congress in coming together 
to bring the perpetrators to justice and explore the challenge of 
preventing such a tragedy from recurring again.
  Madam Speaker, I spent a good part of the break meeting with citizens 
in Florida, from small business owners and operators to students, to 
representatives of the media, a broad cross section of the people who 
make things tick in our small corner of America. It was an extremely 
valuable period of dialog for me, a time to share ideas and reflect on 
where we as a nation need to be headed. The timing of the recess--which 
we all know included the tax filing deadline of April 17--helped focus 
people's attention on the functions of their Federal Government and the 
need for change in the way we conduct the Nation's business. Just about 
everywhere I went in my travels throughout the district and beyond the 
district as well, people were encouraged by the changes that are taking 
place up here in Congress in terms of increased efficiency, streamlined 
operations, less Government interference in their daily life, and maybe 
even achieving a better return to citizens for their hard-earned tax 
dollars in the way we spend them. But there was also growing interest 
in tackling the challenge of reforming our tax system in a 
comprehensive way, and I suspect that may have had something to do with 
the fact that people were trying to understand those very difficult 
instruction forms at the last minute on April 15 when they were rushing 
to get in even before the extended deadline of April 17 this year. I 
think most people recognize that our current tax structure is 
inefficient, it is unfair, and it is largely incomprehensive certainly 
to the average American if they try and read the instructions. The 
paperwork alone is enough to ruin anyone's day, and the feeling is 
pervasive that many filers are paying too much and do not see a fair 
return on the investment they are required to make, and I think many 
agree that taxes are not moneys that are always well spent by 
Washington.
  In fact, it was while I was home over this break that I received a 
note from our UPS delivery person who brought a package to my house. He 
scribbled his message right on the little yellow delivery ticket one 
gets right over the printed instructions so I could not read it 
exactly, but the sentiment was very clear. It said: ``Today's tax 
system is unfair and needs to be changed.'' This particular citizen 
urged my support for a flat tax, an option that is gaining in 
popularity and deserves our close attention. There are, in fact, many 
possibilities for tax overhaul, including not just the flat tax, or 
some version of it, but the national sales tax and other variations on 
those themes. I am pleased that the chairman of the House Committee on 
Ways and Means and the House majority leader have committed to 
beginning the dialog of tax reform this year, with the possibility of 
real change by next year. That would certainly be a welcome relief by 
the time April 15 came around.
  [[Page H4436]] This is a discussion that affects every American, and 
I hope the national dialog will help to educate us all about the pros 
and cons of the options out there.
  We understand the problem. We just do not know what the best solution 
is yet, and I think that that ought to be at the top of our agenda. I 
think it is clear from those of us who went home and took the pulse 
that America is ready for bold change. It is time to stop fooling 
around at the edges of some of these systems and start constructing new 
systems that are fairer and more efficient. Everybody I talked to one 
way our the other, when we got on the subject of taxation, said, ``How 
about a better deal with our taxes? How about a system that we can 
understand?''
  Well, Madam Speaker, how about it? As we tackle the budget process, 
can we include tax reform? I think the people we work for have asked us 
to do that, and I can see no reason at all why we should not. So how 
about it? Let us take on tax reform.

                          ____________________
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