Sam Gibbons: “I just wondered if the gentleman had read it. He is arguing for a tax limitation by constitutional amendment. He sent us…”

“I just wondered if the gentleman had read it. He is arguing for a tax limitation by constitutional amendment. He sent us a chart listing all the other countries on Earth that have tax limitations. Every one of them has a higher tax rate than the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, taxes are the dues of civilization. It is what we pay for civilization. The tax rate in America, being the lowest of the 24 industrialized countries, has remained remarkably stable for about the last 50 years. The tax rate for the 1950's comes out at 17.62 percent. That was the tax rate for the 1950's. The tax rate for the 1960's comes out at 18.31 percent. We have to remember that we were fighting the Vietnam war at that time. The tax rate for the 1970's comes out at 18.47 percent. The tax rate for the 1980's comes out at 18.97 percent. For the first 5 years of 1990, the tax rate has dropped to 18.75 percent. Mr. Speaker, the ridiculous thing about this amendment is its unintended consequences that will occur. If this amendment ever became law, we would first of all have to declare war on some unsuspecting country, so that for 2 years we could handle the ordinary and necessary business of this country, which from time to time requires us to make certain adjustments in the Tax Code. After 2 years we would have to find some other unsuspecting country and declare war on it, or maybe we can declare war on somebody in outer space. As long as we declare war, we can waive all of this.”