Timothy Roemer: “Mr. Chairman, I rise on an historic day when we will reform the IRS for the first time in 46 years. We will follow up on…”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise on an historic day when we will reform the IRS for the first time in 46 years. We will follow up on a capital gains tax cut for the American people, and for the first time, in the underlying bill, we will give Members of Congress a direct opportunity to return money from their office accounts directly to deficit and/or debt reduction. This is something that I want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano) on. In previous years I offered this amendment and Committee on Rules would not allow it to be brought forward. It was called the 'Speaker's slush fund' under Democrats and Republicans that this money went to. Finally, and I give accolades to the Republican majority, we offered this as an amendment on the House floor and we successfully attached it to the bill. I have returned $915,000, close to $1 million, out of my office funds. I do not think that money should go toward Capitol repair or an elevator floor made out of marble.”