Sam Gibbons: “June 29, this Saturday, will be Cost of Government Day. What does that mean? It is the date on which the average…”

“June 29, this Saturday, will be Cost of Government Day. What does that mean? It is the date on which the average American worker has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of tax and regulatory burdens imposed by all levels of government, either Federal, State or local. Currently Nevadans must work on average 179 days just to meet all the costs imposed by government. There is some good news, however. Cost of Government Day falls 2 days earlier this year than last. In fact, this year it is earlier than it has been in 5 years, thanks to the tax relief we have just passed. Yet the cost of government is still substantially higher than it was during the 1980s when President Reagan led the Nation in bringing it down to a date in mid-June. Lowering the cost of government means more money in the hands of families, investors and entrepreneurs to reinvest in our economy. Mr. Speaker, as we continue with the appropriations process, I call upon my colleagues to remain committed to reducing the cost of government to encourage economic growth and prosperity both at home and nationwide.”