Bill Pascrell: “article 1, section 8 of the United States Constitution states very clearly that the Congress shall have power to lay and…”

“article 1, section 8 of the United States Constitution states very clearly that the Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises. If we vote ``yes'' on this rule today, the House will be on record abdicating yet another constitutionally granted right. This undermines the Congress; this undermines this institution as a separate and coequal branch of government. In fact, one could question whether we have the right to do it. In 1980, a President of the United States taxed oil and the courts overruled him. We do not have the power to surrender this right now. Edmund Randolph put it all very nicely. He worried about the executive power, calling it ``the fetus of monarchy.'' What you are doing is running down this institution, not only by the process but what you want the end product to be. We are a people's house and should represent the people of the United States in every one of our districts.”