Mr. HILLEARY. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Paul].
Mr. Speaker. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 3 minutes.
1997 Ron Paul 5:1
Mr. PAUL.
Thank you for yielding and I ask the Speaker for unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks.
1997 Ron Paul 5:3
Mr. PAUL.
If I could be convinced that this piece of legislation was truly the honoring of a user fee, I believe I could give it some support. I believe user fees and trust funds may be a way to go in many of the areas of our system that overtaxes and overspends. But I have come to the conclusion that this so-called reinstatement is a tax increase. Not only I would be satisfied with even maintaining a tax, I would like to see taxes go down. The fact that there will be $2.7 billion more extracted from the American taxpayers, I feel compelled to oppose this piece of legislation.
1997 Ron Paul 5:4
But at the same time, I would like to put in a good word for the trust funds. Truly, if we would follow our commitment to the trust funds and not use these trust funds for spending in the general revenues, I think we would all be better off. Whether it’s the Social Security trust fund or whether it’s the highway trust fund or the airport trust fund or the port trust fund, I think it would be much better if they were true user fees, and since I conclude that this is not a true user fee and it is an actual increase of taxes going into the general revenues, I feel compelled to oppose this piece of legislation.
1997 Ron Paul 5:5
I urge my colleagues to vote no on H.R. 668.
Notes:
1997 Ron Paul 5:3
Ron Paul says I feel compelled when actually he feels impelled.
1997 Ron Paul 5:4
Ron Paul says I feel compelled when actually he feels impelled.
