Bill Archer: “Today marks a singular turning point in how the U.S. Congress carries out the will of the American people. For too many…”

“Today marks a singular turning point in how the U.S. Congress carries out the will of the American people. For too many years our Government has failed to heed the word of those who sent us here. For too many years taxes went up, spending went up, and the size and power of Government went up. It seemed that the bigger Washington got, the further removed Congress became from the wishes and needs of the people it served. Since I came to Congress in 1971, 11 major tax increases have been enacted into law. That is almost one major tax hike for every 2 years that I have been here. Some were even agreed to by Republican Presidents. Until recently, it seemed that the answer to every problem was to raise someone's taxes. We would not have been wrong if we said that until now the Congress never met a tax it did not hike. That is why this agreement marks an important turning point. For the first time in 16 years the American people will get a tax cut.”