People are surprised to learn that I was the author of a bill proposing one of the most significant tax cuts ever proposed in Congress in the 1980s. Well, perhaps not in the way you might imagine. Here’s how it actually happened. I introduced a proposal of entirely minor importance, under the reference HR 5829: […]
During my time as a member of Congress, a curious phenomenon occurred several times a year. I would receive visits from a group of finance professionals who came to ask me to make some minor changes to legislation regarding their activities. What was strange about the matter was not that they were trying to pressure […]
Given the media spectacle of the bickering and gridlock that tear apart Congress, many Americans must wonder what drives people to work in this mess. This question is not new. “We can easily understand the reasons why a man goes to the poorhouse or to prison,” noted a 19th-century observer of Institution. “It’s because he […]
Make a joke about politicians squabbling in Washington and about the Congress for which “it is urgent to do nothing,” and you can be sure to get laughs and approval from the audience. These criticisms are as old as the republic itself and always have the same success. Harry Truman’s denunciation in 1948 of Congress’s […]
