Buddy's Budget Blog

HENDERSONVILLE, TN - Rep. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA) last week sat down with former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, host of The Mike Huckabee Show on TBN, to discuss H.R. 25, the FairTax, which will eliminate the IRS and federal payroll and income taxes in favor of a simple, efficient consumption tax. This will allow Americans to keep the entirety of their hard-earned paychecks. Rep. Carter is the lead sponsor of this landmark and Georgia-grown legislation. 

In case you missed it, here are the highlights:

ON GOVERNMENT WANTING CONTROL OVER YOUR PAYCHECKS: 

HUCKABEE: "[The FairTax is] not a Democrat versus Republican bill at all. In fact, I’ve often said that I don’t know why the Democrats haven’t latched on to it, taken it, and championed it because it is a very powerful bill for people who are in the struggling part of our economy. It’s really better for them than it is for the people at the top of the economy."

CARTER: "Absolutely it is better. For those who are making $35,000 to $50,000 a year, this is going to save them on taxes… it’s fair, it’s simple, it’s preferred. Let’s face it, no one likes to pay taxes; but, given the choice between an income tax, a payroll tax, and a consumption tax, they would prefer a consumption tax because you’re in control."

CARTER: "That’s why the establishment doesn’t like it, because they lose control…"

HUCKABEE: "Right. That’s it."

ON FAIRTAX REWARDING HARD WORK:

HUCKABEE: "No longer would we be penalized for anything that we produce. Our work wouldn’t be taxed, our savings wouldn’t be taxed, our death wouldn’t be taxed…I mean it’s kind of like life is supposed to work. You don’t punish people for doing what’s right and what’s good, but our tax system does."

CARTER: "It absolutely does, it’s one of the most regressive tax codes out there…You just mentioned a big idea. That’s what Washington is supposed to be about, big ideas. And that’s what we’re trying to do here. We’re trying to reform the whole system."

ON FAIRTAX CAPTURING THE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY: 

CARTER: "This is going to capture the underground economy, too. Those people who are over here who are not supposed to be over here, they’re going to be paying the sales tax…tourists, they’re going to be doing the same thing."

HUCKABEE: "…We won’t have to be paying our taxes and theirs anymore."

ON ELIMINATING THE IRS:

CARTER: "One of the first pieces of legislation we passed in the Republican-controlled House was to eliminate the hiring of 87,000 IRS agents. I know you find it hard to believe, but those 87,000 IRS agents were not hired to make sure that you get your refund quicker."

CARTER: "We can eliminate the IRS. We can do away with it. There would be no need for it."

HUCKABEE: "April 15th would just be another beautiful spring day in America without having to worry about taxes."

Watch the full interview here.