Senator Dole''s Radio Address

Good morning, this is Bob Dole. In a little over a month, Americans will mark the third anniversary of the $265 billion Clinton tax increase. This increase, the largest tax increase in world history, was passed by the Democrat-controlled Congress in August of 1993.

I'm proud to say that every Republican in the House and Senate opposed this staggering increase. We opposed it because we believe that Americans are already overtaxed. And the sad fact is that after three and a half years of the Clinton administration, you are more overtaxed than ever before.

Many of you have probably heard about Tax Freedom Day. It's the day when the average American has finally earned enough to pay all his tax bills and the day when you stop working for the government and start working for yourself.

When President Clinton took office, Tax Freedom Day was April 30th. This year Tax Freedom Day was May 7. This means that the Clinton administration has condemned Americans to work seven more dayt each year for the government.

Under President Clinton, taxes now are so highest, according to the National Tax Foundation, the typical American family pays more in federal, state and local taxes than it spends on food, clothing and housing combined.

In November of 1994, you said enough is enough. You gave Republicans control of Congress, and you asked us to reduce taxes so you could spend more or invest more of your hard-earned money as you saw fit. We Republicans heard that message loud and clear, and we did just as you asked.

To put more money in the pockets of America's families, Republicans passed a $500 per child tax credit. As one father of 10 children told me in Jacksonville, Florida, that credit would mean he would have an additional $5,000 to spend on food, clothing and medical bills for his children.

To ensure that widows aren't forced to sell the family business or farm just to pay the tax bill, Republicans also reduce the estate tax. To help our families, Republicans also reduced the so-called marriage penalty tax and created a tax credit for expenses associated with the adoption of a child.

And we created a tax credit for expenses associated with long-term care of seriously ill spouses or family members. And in order to create more jobs and more opportunity, Republicans reduced the capital gains tax rate. Why aren't you receiving the benefits of these tax cuts?

Why aren't these tax cuts the law of the land? One simple reason -because President Clinton vetoed each and every one of them. There will be a lot of talk about taxes in the months ahead, and some of it may get confusing at times. But here are two facts that all the rhetoric in the world cannot change.

Fact number one: In 1993, nearly every Democrat in the House and Senate supported President Clinton's tax increase, the largest in history, and every — every Republican opposed it.

Fact number two: In 1995, every Republican in the House and the Senate supported historic package of tax reductions. Nearly every Democrat opposed it, and President Clinton vetoed it.

And let me share another fact. Along with President Reagan, I was honored to lead the successful fight for the largest tax reduction in American history and for the most comprehensive simplification of our tax system in history. I continue to believe that along with reducing tax rates, we must also aggressively reduce tax rules and regulations.

It's estimated that last year alone American taxpayers spent 1.8 billion hours filling out their tax forms. Businesses spent twice as much time sending the IRS over one million reports.

The IRS was never meant to an intrusive, oppressive presence in American life. But as the tax code has grown ever more complex, as the agency has swelled to more than 100,000 people, costing taxpayers nearly $10 billion a year, tax collectors have grown more and more high-handed.

Today, there are more investigators working for the IRS than for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DOLE: I believe it's high time for a fairer, flatter and simpler system. I believe it's time for the 1040 form to go the way of the Berlin Wall. I believe you should be able to file your tax return on postcard or electronically without paper at all. And above all, I'm guided by the belief that our tax code should recognize that a family's most important responsibility is raising children and not supporting the bureaucracy in Washington, D.C.

Finally, let me say that Elizabeth and I join with all of you in sending our thoughts and prayers to those in the path of Hurricane Bertha. When disaster strikes, Americans always respond with kindness and generosity. And we extend our thanks to the individuals and organizations who will be doing all they can in the days ahead to help those in need.

Thanks for listening. And I'll talk with you again next week.