Political Quotes

“first I commend Senator Murray and the Budget Committee for the plan they have presented to us. It represents an enormous step forward on an issue of huge significance to American taxpayers. It is a step toward balanced deficit reduction. An important part of balanced deficit reduction is reducing the deficit without severely damaging important protections for and investments in American families. One way to do that is by ending unjustified tax loopholes and ending the damage they have inflicted on our budget. Senator Murray's summary of the Foundation For Growth, the budget plan before us, refers to ``the sheer magnitude of the revenue lost to off-shore tax abuse, wasteful and inefficient loopholes, and other business tax breaks.'' Many Senators have focused on this issue over the months and the years. A number of them will, I expect, be joining me on the floor over the next few minutes. For many years as chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations I have focused on the maze of offshore schemes and complex gimmicks that are concocted to allow a privileged few to avoid paying the taxes that are rightfully owing. Our subcommittee has, on a bipartisan basis, filled volume after volume with damning detail on how these schemes work and the damage they cause. As Senator Murray and the Budget Committee have pointed out in their blueprint, we are at a moment in history when we can remove this blight.…”