Political Quotes

“It is a great honor and with pleasure that I introduce this resolution for myself, Mr. Ashcroft, the Senator from California, and others who may wish to join us. Yesterday, I was on this floor describing a very difficult predicament that Major League baseball was encountering. It seemed, as of early yesterday morning, that the Internal Revenue Service might say that a fan who caught a historic home run ball hit by Mark McGwire and turned it back to him might be liable for $150,000 or more in gift taxes on that ball. We pointed out that that made no sense. I am proud to say that we had bipartisan support for that proposition, Madam President. There are very few things that have brought this Chamber together more than that one simple proposition. I was very pleased yesterday afternoon to have a call from Commissioner Rossotti of the IRS, who understood the magnitude of the problem this could cause. He advised me that he has issued a release from the IRS saying that, while resolving gift tax issues is as difficult as figuring out the infield fly rule, it made sense that we congratulate a fan who returns the baseball rather than hit him with taxes.”