Sean Patrick Maloney: “I believe it is very fair to say that none of us enjoys paying taxes. But instead of having an honest debate about the…”

“I believe it is very fair to say that none of us enjoys paying taxes. But instead of having an honest debate about the Tax Code, the Republican leadership has presented us with irresponsible election year pandering. This bill brings dangerous uncertainty to the American economy, which has been so successful for the past 6 years, while it puts off the real work of determining what the Tax Code should look like to two Congresses in the future, the summer of the year 2002. That is right, the Republicans are saying let us take credit now for something someone else will have to work on 3 years from now. I am certainly in support of an honest debate about the Tax Code, but an honest debate means that a real alternative is on the table. If we could consider the national sales tax or the flat tax that the Republicans have been proposing, then we could have a debate on the merits. But, instead, the majority appears to be afraid of a debate on the merits and has before us an election year pandering proposal. I urge a ``no'' vote and a ``yes'' for Rangel-Boyd-Tanner.”