Jim Bunning: “Mr. Speaker, the Federal income tax system is broken beyond repair. We cannot tinker with it any longer and make it work…”

“Mr. Speaker, the Federal income tax system is broken beyond repair. We cannot tinker with it any longer and make it work any better. We need to wholesale reform and totally overhaul the system. There are two basic elements that are absolutely necessary for a Federal tax system. It must be understandable, and it must be fair. As it now stands, our Federal income tax fails badly on both counts. Our Tax Code has become so complex that no one can understand it. When tax experts cannot agree on how much an American taxpayer owes, how can we expect the average taxpayer to understand it? This complexity is expensive. It costs over $300 billion a year for taxpayers to comply with the Tax Code. That is money that is totally wasted. It does not benefit government or increase funding for essential services. It does not benefit the private sector or create investment, develop jobs, or improve the quality of life. It is just money down the drain. It is a crime. Our Tax Code is unfair.”