Byron Dorgan: “There is a wonderful legislative strategy, I guess, that if you cannot change the facts, change the subject. The subject…”

“There is a wonderful legislative strategy, I guess, that if you cannot change the facts, change the subject. The subject here isn't about the current Tax Code; the subject is about what do you want to put in place of a Tax Code you want to abolish? Something new, we are told. Well, it is interesting. There is nothing new around here that I see about the proposals to change the Tax Code. All the proposals I have seen are the same tired, old proposals--exempt the rich, tax the rest, and call it reform. You think that is not the case? The plans out here are: Tax work and exempt investment; tax people to go to work; tax the income from work; say to those that clip coupons, you are exempt. Nothing new about that. People have been trying to do that for a century. The question I would ask the opponents of this amendment is, do you think the American people will be better off with a national sales tax plan? Is that what you are going to replace it with? Bill Gale at Brookings, who did this piece, says your national sales tax rate, by the way, despite all the numbers they tell you, will be 35 percent. Want to pay a 35 percent sales tax on a home you buy? Do you think you are better off with that kind of tax program?”