Date: 1996-04-15
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. today is April 15. tax day. and this is the day when Americans send their tax dollars to Washington and when the IRS sends its agents out to audit Americans. and you know this day. believe it or not. on this day. Americans have to work 21 more days to pay all their Federal. State and local taxes. So it is not over today. We have a chance to offer today some security to every American by making it harder for the Government to raise their taxes. Today we are going to vote on a constitutional amendment to require a twothirds vote tQ raise taxes. You know. I thank the gentleman from Texas . my good friend. for this hard work on behalf of the American people. This amendment should have been adopted back in 1993 because that is when the President and his fellow Democrats passed the largest tax increase in the history of this Nation. and it squarely broke the backs of the American people. This -amendment would have allowed Americans to keep more of their money for themselves. for their families. for their savings and for their future. That big Clinton tax increase meant that families and workers pay more every time they drive to work. or take their kids to soccer practice. or their family on a vacation. This is because the President increased the Federal gasoline tax by 4.3 cents. I bet most of my colleagues do not even know what their gasoline tax is. In the State of Texas. it amounts to 38V2 cents a gallon. That is onefourth of your total gasoline tax or gasoline bill and most pumps do not tell you that you that. That big Clinton tax increase meant seniors pay more on their social security benefits because that was raised. as welf. So for seniors. the Presidents tax increase continues to mean slower growth. fewer jobs and a less competitive America. The President used class warfare to justify his need to increase taxes. but in reality. his tax increase hit middle America the hardest. the people he claimed to protect. The Presidents income tax increase hit small businesses right in their pocketbook. It took more money out of their businesses. out of their pockets and out of their future. money which could have been used to expand or hire new workers. Even Senators KENNEDY and DORGAN. both Democrats. agreed. Mr. Speaker. this is the major difference now between Republicans and Democrats. Democrats believe Americans should pay more taxes and that the Government deserves more of your money. They believe in raising the minimum wage instead of allowing every American to keep more of what they earn. Democrats believe in big taxes. big Government. They deplore the entrepreneurial spirit. success and selfaccomplishment. They believe that if you work harder every day of your life. your own hard work and determination produces results so that you become successful. you should be punished. That is why this administration raised taxes. because they honestly feel that the Government has the right to take what you earn and spend it. They believe they can spend your money better than you can. Conservatives. on the other hand. believe in a smaller. less intrusive Government. lower taxes and the ability of the American people to succeed. Opportunity. hard work and the Republican ideal is the American dream. We feel that people should be rewarded for success and not punished. We believe that the money you earn is yours to keep. We know this works because Presidents Kennedy and Reagan proved that it does. Their tax cuts. their tax relief allowed people to grow the economy. create jobs and increase the living standard of every American. Families should not be forced to pay more in taxes than they pay for food. clothing and shelter combined. which is the fact today. To me. that is unacceptable. While I applaud my friend for his amendment. my hope and desire is that we will follow through on another promise and replace the current tax system with one that promotes freedom: That is. F. free. fair and simple. reduces the role of government. R. EE. by eliminating the IRS. encouraging savings and investment. driving the economy. opportunity for all. and the "in" in "freedom." put more money in the pockets of all Americans. This is what the country deserves. and this is what we can begin to implement actually next week when I introduce a bill to repeal the 16th amendment to the Constitution. which is the income tax amefidment. We must act as soon as possible and rid the Nation of the IRS now.