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THE TRUTH ON EXPIRING PROVISIONS

May 30, 2008

I always suspected this was true, but I never heard of a congresscritter admitting it in so many words:

I never understood the “why” about expiring tax provisions until one very late night markup of the “extenders bill” several years ago while I was working for the Ways and Means Committee. Bleary-eyed, one of usually twinkly-eyed members plopped down in a chair next to me in back of the dais–just to take a little rest away from his member’s seat. I asked him "why do we have to do this every year?…why can’t we just pass these things permanently?"
His eyes suddenly twinkled again, as he looked at me with a combination of amusement and disbelief. He said: "Are you kidding me?… We couldn’t do that!… Why, I’d lose all my friends!…Who would come visit me and say kind things to me and do nice things for me then, if they didn’t have to come back every year to ask for these tax provisions?!!"

(via TaxVox; my emphasis.)

Senator Grassley, of course, has been on the Senate taxwriting committee throughout the "extenders" era. He must have lots of friends.

Tags: tax policy.tax vox.