Joe Barton

The tax limitation works, the supermajority vote for tax increases works in Arkansas.

I think one of the other concerns under the current tax code, most Republicans and far-thinking Democrats support a rate reduction in the capital gains tax. What is the gentleman's understanding of what we could do with capital gains, if…

It is my understanding that Arkansas has had a tax limitation on amendment on the books for several decades. It requires a three-fourths vote; not a two-thirds, but even a higher standard of three-fourths. Could you comment on how that has…

But, of course, the response to that is that living in the future, living in the present, we are the world's greatest military power. No one questions that. We spend a higher percentage of our GNP today on military preparedness than we did…

On the eve of what we now call the First World War is when we got the 16th amendment that made the income tax constitutional. On the eve of the second war, which we now call World War II, we were in the throes of the Great Depression, and…

Again, the concept is not one that you have to be a physics major to understand. If you would realize that two-thirds is a larger number than one-half, you have grasped the principle that we are trying to establish.

That is not the Committee on the Judiciary. But if I could, I would like to talk about your principle of majority rule. I think you said that there were 10 States, or 10 percent of the population had 34 Senators. I am going to just read…

On that specific point, as you know, Medicare consists of two different parts, part A and part B. Medicare part A is funded by a tax, and you have to pay it if you are working in this country. I believe it is 1.2 percent, but it is…

The intent is to, in a broad sense, keep the tax burden, the Federal tax burden, on the American people in 19 percent or less, which it has been historically.

This constitutional amendment, as all constitutional amendments, are subject to court review, which as a strict constitutionist I know that the gentleman from Colorado would support that.

But as in any constitutional amendment if we pass it, and in my opinion it is not if we pass it, it is when we pass it, there will be obviously implementation language, implementation law, legislation, as in any constitutional amendment…

this evening at approximately 9 p.m., this House is going to have a historic opportunity to vote on the tax limitation constitutional amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The wording of the pertinent paragraph of that…

later this evening we are going to have a historic vote, the first vote on a supermajority requirement to raise your taxes. The amend is to my left, and you will have an opportunity to read it. When I was in the fourth grade at Travis…

I have great sympathy for the gentleman from Virginia when he talks about a certain number of States with a small percent of the population thwarting the will of the majority. Texas and Colorado were not in the original 13 Colonies…

I want to also express my support to the leadership on both sides of the aisle that have pushed this legislation. Special thanks to my good friend, Jack Fields, who is retiring at the end of this session and this is going to be his legacy…

In fact, we have a monologue by the gentleman from Indiana, the chairman, last year on that very point. He asked the Department of Energy and they said specifically that they did not believe that they could authorize $210 million…

Mr. Chairman, I submit material from last year's Record for this Record, as follows: Senate amendment No. 35: Page 19, line 19, after ``tract'' insert: ``: Provided further, That of the amounts previously appropriated to orderly terminate…

Since August 1994 the State of Texas has, in fact, decided not to use the $65 million to build and operate the cancer treatment center. They want to use the money for other purposes. I think that the only honorable thing to do, since I was…

That is correct. As a part of the settlement agreement, there is an alternative settlement procedure that gives the State the right to do so. That alternative settlement agreement was not a part of the public record. What is a part of the…

All I am trying to do is keep my word to the House of Representatives when I stood on the floor and said these funds would go for cancer treatment and research. I believe that. I still at this point in time think that was the most…

I support the clean water bill, H.R. 961. Among its many good provisions, which have already been described and extolled, is a commonsense solution to an issue that has unnecessarily burdened cities in my district, as well as many others…

today Commerce Committee Chairman Tom Bliley, and Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Jack Fields, introduced the largest telecommunications reform bill ever to go through Congress. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this…

last December my sister, the only sister that I have, had a bouncing baby boy born on December 18, 1994. It is her first child and just a delightful young man. I would like to read into the Record an announcement of Parker Travis Gerro's…

We have won the debate that there needs to be an amendment. The question is what kind of an amendment? Opponents have spoken on this floor, talked about the mechanics. They have talked about issues that are not the principal issue. The…

The gentleman is correct, because in the nine States that have tax-limitation requirements, it is a bicameral, bipartisan legislature, and my understanding is that it was a bipartisan effort.