Ben Cardin: “Mr. Speaker, we should not be talking about a sunset today. We should be talking about a sunrise, a sunrise for tax…”

“Mr. Speaker, we should not be talking about a sunset today. We should be talking about a sunrise, a sunrise for tax reform. I am very disappointed that we do not have legislation on the floor that would talk about tax reform because we do need tax reform. What this legislation represents is a failure, a failure by this body to take up tax reform, a signal that we will not deal with it in this Congress, the third consecutive Congress under the control of the Republicans in which they have not brought tax reform to the floor of this House. If my colleagues are looking for agreement on both sides of the aisle, we agree that the current income tax code is too complicated. So what do we do about it during these past 3 terms? Add another 100 sections and make it more complicated? Make it more difficult for our constituents to understand how to file their tax returns? That is not tax reform. Those actions became law. If my colleagues want agreement on both sides of the aisle that we should have less income taxes, they will get that agreement. Let us bring forward bills that do it. I strongly support the expansion of the earned income tax credit.”