Tax Reform

TAX REFORM -- (House of Representatives - July 21, 2005)

(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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