Angie Craig: “an estimated 30 million taxpayers will file their Federal income tax returns today. They will be among the more than 100…”

“an estimated 30 million taxpayers will file their Federal income tax returns today. They will be among the more than 100 million households filing returns so far this year. Most of these households do not have charitable feelings about the process to which their Government has just subjected them. Today, tax day, is the right day to call for tax relief, tax reform, and reform of the Internal Revenue Service. The Tax Foundation has announced today that tax freedom day for 1997 will be May 9--128 days into the year and later than it has ever been in our taxpaying history. Mr. President, our colleague, the senior Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Byrd], is a student of classical history. I read recently that subjects in some of the outer provinces of the Roman Empire stirred up civil unrest when Roman plus local taxation reached an estimated 25 percent of their income. Today, the typical American family of four pays 38 percent of its income in taxes at all levels--working 3 hours of every 8-hour day just to pay taxes. Tax-and-spend liberals don't like it when taxpayers are reminded that it is the taxpayer's money--not the Government's --that is taken in taxes. I continue to support reasonable, fair tax relief that is pro-family and pro-economic growth. Among other efforts, today, I am joining again as an original cosponsor, with Senator Ashcroft, of the Working Americans Wage Restoration Act. American wage-earners are double taxed.…”