Associated PressPosted on 01/07/2005 8:11:14 PM PST by ancient_geezer
JEFFREY McMURRAYAssociated Press
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Linder is getting a lofty consolation prize after being passed over as House Rules chairman.
Colleagues tapped the Georgia Republican this week for a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most coveted House panels, which focuses on tax, trade, tariffs, health care and Social Security.
The appointment means Linder is leaving the Rules Committee altogether, likely ending his longtime quest to chair the panel that directs floor debate. Earlier this week, Speaker Dennis Hastert asked Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., to stay as chairman, despite a rule written by Linder several years ago intended to limit the terms of committee leaders.
"While it was a great honor to serve on the Rules Committee, I am extremely pleased to be elected by my colleagues to this new position," Linder said in a statement Thursday. "I am very excited about this new opportunity, and I look forward to serving the constituents of the 7th congressional district in this new role."
Linder new role and some of the issues he hopes to advance will likely make him a more public figure than he was on the Rules Committee, which operates largely anonymously.
On Ways and Means, he plans to continue to push his "Fair Tax" legislation that would scrap the federal income tax and replace it with a national sales tax. Hastert asked him to pursue the issue this year, and President Bush has made restructuring the tax code a second-term priority.
"John has been a real leader when it comes to reforming our tax code to make it work better for our citizens," said Hastert, R-Ill.
Linder joins Democrat John Lewis as one of two Georgians on the Ways and Means panel. Georgia also had two last year, but Republican Rep. Mac Collins gave up his congressional seat in an unsuccessful run for Senate.
If you would like to be added to this ping list let me know.
John Linder in the House & Saxby Chambliss Senate, offer a comprehensive bill to kill all income and SS/Medicare payroll taxes outright, and provide a IRS free replacement in the form of a retail sales tax:
H.R.25, S.1493
A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national retail sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.Refer for additional information: http://www.fairtax.org, http://www.salestax.org & http://www.geocities.com/cmcofer/ftax.html
Cong Tom Cole, our Congressman from here in the 4th District of Oklahoma, was named to the Rules Committee this week. Looks like some changes are happening in the House.
It will be interesting to watch how all this plays out over then next couple of years.
I am with you -- looks like they have done some shaking up in the House and it should get interesting.
Ways and Means is where he belongs.
Great news!
Sure makes more sense that Rules committee, at least for Linder and the causes he fights for.
On a related note, I heard Connie Mack interviewed today about the Tax Reform Commission, and he commented that the Commission has been limited in its purview to reviewing and reforming the income tax, NOT the payroll tax. Of course, Chairman Thomas has no such limitation in the work of the Committee on Ways & Means.
Thanks for the information!
I just watched that entire interview again, and this time heard Lizann Sonders, one of the panel members, say they have been given clear marching orders by the president regarding the "revenue neutral" aspect of their work. The panel is to assume that the existing tax cuts are MADE PERMANENT! Now I think that is great news, and shows us where the president is on this, if there was any doubt.
The panel is to assume that the existing tax cuts are MADE PERMANENT! Now I think that is great news, and shows us where the president is on this, if there was any doubt.
Outstanding!!
That leads to the interesting conclusion is that president Bush does not consider making those cuts as being tax reform in and of them selves. The administration is looking for real and concrete recommendations and not just trimming at the margin.
Since the income tax system is inherently unfair, no amount of returning our own money to us, could be considered reform.
It sickens me that so many Americans have become accustomed to what should have been an unconstitutional federal income tax, that was implemented by the cook the frog system (turn the heat up gradually until the frog is dead). When income tax started it only taxed the very wealthy at a rate of about 1 or 2%!
The only thing that would reform the system and stop Congress from bribing us with our own money is to scrap the federal income tax.
We're going to see some of these control freak congressmen 'come to Jesus' over this issue, when they realize how popular the idea of NO IRS is.
I hope you are right. I don't want my children or grandchildren to have to suffer through the system the way it is now.
Just wait for the debate over this bill {HR 25} to enter the public dialogue. So far, the media has not grabbed on to it-- except for Fox in a very introductory way. Of course we are going to get the control freak leftist spin from the Old Media, but when people start to educate themselves about it from the website, it's going to get fun.
Be encouraged- the days of media domination are over! The knowledge is easily accessible to everyone at fairtax.org. Neal Boortz is writing a book with Linder, detailing the plan. The average guy, when he sees it and understands it properly, will want it.
BTTT
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