Asa Hutchinson: “I, first of all, do not know to which study the Senator is referring. There are many studies on the various rates of a…”

“I, first of all, do not know to which study the Senator is referring. There are many studies on the various rates of a flat and sales tax. But what I would suggest is that the principles laid down in the bill that I introduced and in the amendment that we are debating would be violated by any type of a 30-percent aggressive sales tax. Obviously, that would be something that I think would be totally unacceptable. But to throw up these fears: ``We're going to lose a home mortgage deduction'' and ``We're going to lose a charitable deduction,'' that is the politics of fear. That is what prevents us from moving forward to real and comprehensive tax reform, in my opinion.”