Rob Portman: “let me say at the outset, Members are talking a lot about the Founders. In the Constitution, of course, article I…”

“let me say at the outset, Members are talking a lot about the Founders. In the Constitution, of course, article I section 9 actually prohibits the kind of income tax that we currently have in this country, and that is why in 1913, Congress passed the 16th amendment. So if we are going to look back at the Founders, I think there is not a good argument for not changing the way we do business here. Let me just say that for the last year, as cochairman of the National Commission on Restructuring the IRS, I have been spending a lot of time delving into the tax system generally, and the IRS in particular. We are going to issue our final recommendations in June. The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Coyne] on the other side of the aisle is on that Commission. I cochair with Senator Bob Kerrey. It is bipartisan, the administration is represented and it has a lot of good private sector expertise. Our goal, really, with this Commission is nothing short of having Americans in the future associate April 15 less with the frustration and anxiety and headaches connected with their tax system and more with pleasant things, like the beautiful spring day we are enjoying here in Washington today.”