Bill Archer: “the issue before us today presents a simple question--whose side are you on? Are you a defender of the unfair…”

“the issue before us today presents a simple question--whose side are you on? Are you a defender of the unfair, complicated, high-tax status quo, or are you in favor of reform? If you support reform, then I urge you to join me in a bipartisan show of support for changing the code. I support nothing less than pulling the code out by its roots and throwing it away so it never grows back. The current code is unfair, punitive, anti-growth, and anti-taxpayer. American workers today are caught in a tax trap. The longer they work, the harder they work, the more they pay. I want to create a new code that says the more you spend, the more you pay. We need to stop punishing success in this country and start toward savings and hard work. Mr. Speaker some have asked me why, if I feel so strongly about this, am I not passing a bill to create this new tax code today. If I thought for a minute that President Clinton would join this Congress in pursuing a new tax code, we would today be voting on a replacement code instead of sunsetting the current code. Unfortunately, President Clinton has given no sign that he will abandon his embrace of the tax status quo. As a result we are passing this measure to highlight the importance of this issue and to establish its proper place as a top priority in our national agenda. Perhaps this vote will help the President to join with us next year in making the sunset a reality. I haven't given up hope and I urge the President to join with us.”