WASHINGTON DESK - President Clinton delivered a speech on Monday attacking a Republican initiative that will eliminate the U.S. tax code. Clinton termed the measure 'misguided, reckless and irresponsible' speculating that such a program would contribute to increasing the nation's crime wave.
He said '...No one concerned about fighting crime would
even think about saying three years from now we're going to
throw out the criminal code and we'll figure out what to put in its
place...but that is exactly what some people in Congress are proposing to do.'
Last week, members of the Senate moved to let the U.S. tax code expire.
Senate majority leader Trent Lott(R)said he would push that proposal as part of the annual budget resolution this Spring. Making matters worse for the Clinton White House is the fact that members in both the House and Senate, are pushing laws to wipe out the 85-year-old code.
Clinton said 'Instead of proposing reform, this proposal is really economic uncertainty...almost every business investment has tax consequences...and without knowing what a future tax code holds, businesses would cut or drop plans to invest or hire.'
Earlier Monday, House majority leader Richard Armey(R) said in a speech before the National Association of Manufacturers criticized Clinton's zest to use the tax code to influence taxpayers' decisions. Armey said '...The only legitimate reason to write a tax code is to raise money...everything beyond that is social engineering.'
President Clinton's remarks later in the day appeared to be an attempt to put House and Senate Republicans on the defensive. GOP leaders in Congress are preparing anti-tax measures for a roll-out within the next few weeks.
Reinventing Government Taxation
