Ways & Means Committee: Statement in Support of Tax Reform 9-26-06

Mr. Chairman, I have been pleased to support the efforts of you and your colleagues on the Committee as you have worked to provide relief to our nation's taxpayers and to reform our Byzantine tax code.

Under the leadership of this Committee, Congress passed the 1998 IRS Reform and Restructuring Act to make significant structural changes in the management and oversight of the IRS and strengthen the rights and protections to taxpayers.

More recently we passed the 2003 Taxpayer Protection and IRS Accountability Act reform penalty and interest provisions, improve the fairness of IRS collections procedures, and improve the efficiency of tax administration. This bill also enhances taxpayer information confidentiality and authorizes low income taxpayer clinics.

Despite our efforts to reform and restore accountability to the IRS, our current tax law does not even take into consideration the mounting cost to run a huge IRS bureaucracy or the cost of an army of CPAs and accountants to prepare the mountains of forms required.

I believe our current system of taxation has grown into a confusing, unfair and burdensome system, and that the time for Congress to act on the important issue of tax reform is sooner rather than later. That is why I decided to lend my support and cosponsor the Fair Tax Act of 2005.

While I do have concerns relating to the impact on home mortgage interest and charitable deductions, I believe we can develop a smooth transition to a new tax system. I am confident that once implemented the Fair Tax plan and other tax proposals would be simpler for taxpayers and easier to understand, and eliminating the IRS will greatly reduce paperwork, bureaucracy and the drain on our economy.

There must be a better way and I believe that the Fair Tax proposal will help the process move forward. I urge you to consider this measure and would like to thank Chairman Thomas and our colleagues for their efforts to change our current tax system.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for your commitment for tax reform.