On the recordSeptember 20, 2016
Our taxes in this country are too high and too complicated. We need a fairer, flatter, simpler tax system, but there is a lot of work to be done on that. I know my friend, the gentleman from Illinois in the Ways and Means Committee, and Chairman Brady from Texas are all working on that. But we do have a situation where many of our Olympic athletes work hard for years-- some of whom are living at or below poverty--and when they bring home the gold, silver, or bronze to our country, they are tagged by the IRS with very high taxes. This bill is a small step and a small way that we can say thank you for the hard work those athletes put in to make us all proud as Americans. I do think the bill does great service to our athletes, but it should also serve as a reminder that we need to be looking at the bigger tax system in this country as a whole. As my colleague on the other side of the aisle said, there are a many great people doing many great things in this country who suffer a very, very high tax burden. I pledge to work with my friends and colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee toward that end, but I am happy we are making this small step forward--something I have been fighting for for several years. I thank the committee for their hard work on it, and I look forward to joining, hopefully, all of my colleagues in voting ``yes'' for this.
