January 25, 1995 05:42 PM | Permalink | 
Testimony of Robert S. McIntyre
Director, Citizens for Tax Justice
Before the House Ways and Means Committee
Regarding Proposed New Tax Subsidies for Capital Gains and
Corporate Profits Designed to Gut the Tax Reform Act of 1986
January 25, 1995
I appreciate the opportunity to testify before the Committee on behalf of Citizens for Tax Justice. Our coalition of labor, public interest and grassroots citizens groups represents tens of millions of middle- and low-income Americans, who have a vital stake in fair, economically sound tax and budget policies.
The Republican “Contract with America” proposes an array of new tax breaks whose costs will be close to $100 billion a year once they take full effect. The bulk of these enormous revenue losses stem from two items: huge new tax breaks for capital gains and a major expansion in corporate depreciation write-offs. We strongly oppose these proposals. If enacted, they would undermine the gains in tax fairness and economic neutrality achieved in the 1986 Tax Reform Act. They would once again put Congress in the position of directing and allocating private investment, rather than leaving it where it belongs—in the hands of businesses and consumers. We would once again face rampant tax sheltering and outrageous high-income and corporate tax dodging. Ultimately, the price would be borne by average Americans, through higher interest rates and eventually, increased taxes. We therefore urge the Committee to reject these tax deforms, and instead to work to close remaining wasteful, economically harmful tax subsidies that benefit the few at the expense of most families.
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