From the March 2002 Idaho Observer:

House majority voted to terminate IRS in 1998; bill died in senate committee

Rep. Steve Largent (R-Oklahoma) sponsored the February 25, 1998 introduction of HR 3097, The Tax Code Termination Act. The bill had 153 co-sponsors including Majority Leader Trent Lott and was passed through the House with a vote of 219-209 June 17, 1998. The bill died in Senate comittee. Several other IRS abolishing bills have come before Congress and have succombed to a similar fate. Summary of nine bills from 1998 to present that would abolish the Income Tax and the IRS follows:

1. Tax Code Termination ACT

HR 3097 June 1998

105th CONGRESS

In June 1998, the House voted 219-209 in favor of the Tax Code Termination Act, which would “sunset” the federal income tax by July 4, 2002. The bill (H.R. 3097), sponsored by Rep. Steve Largent of Oklahoma and co-sponsored in the Senate by Majority Leader Lott)

COSPONSORS(153), VOTES -- 219 IN SUPPORT

2. A bill to terminate the Internal Revenue Code

S.1673 (introduced 2/25/1998)

Sponsor: Sen Hutchinson, Y. Tim

Related Bills: H.R.3097

COSPONSORS (37)

The Senate companion bill to HR 3097 that passed the house 219-209. The Senate version died in committee

3. Date Certain Tax Code Replacement Act To terminate the Internal Revenue Code of 1986

H.R.2714 (introduced 8/2/2001)

Sponsor: Rep Largent, Steve

COSPONSORS (69)

Latest Major Action: 8/2/2001 Referred to House committee

Title: To terminate the Internal Revenue Code by a date certain.

4. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the Federal income tax.

H.J.RES.66 (introduced 10/3/2001)

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Sam

COSPONSORS (1)

Latest Major Action: 10/3/2001 Referred to House committee

Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the Federal income tax.

5. Constitutional Amendment -- abolish IRS

H.J.RES.81 (introduced 11/16/1999)

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron

COSPONSOR(S): ***NONE***

Latest Major Action: 11/19/1999 Referred to House subcommittee

Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes and prohibiting the United States Government from engaging in business in competition with its citizens.

6. Amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes

H.J.RES.45 (introduced 4/25/2001)

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron

COSPONSORS(2),

Latest Major Action: 5/9/2001 Referred to House subcommittee

Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes and prohibiting the Untied States Government from engaging in the business in competition with its citizens.

7. Sense of the Congress -- Abolish IRS

H.CON.RES.148 (introduced 7/1/1999)

Sponsor: Rep Bonilla, Henry

COSPONSORS (77)

Latest Major Action: 7/1/1999 Referred to House committee

Title: Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 must be replaced with a new, low, single-rate system that is simple and fair, allowing the Internal Revenue Service, as we know it, to be abolished.

8. Individual Tax Freedom Act of 2001

H.R.2717 (introduced 8/2/2001)

Sponsor: Rep Tauzin, W. J. (Billy)

COSPONSORS (9),

Latest Major Action: 8/2/2001 Referred to House committee

Title: To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity for families by repealing the income tax, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national retail sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.

9. Fair Tax Act of 2001

H.R.2525 (introduced 7/17/2001)

Sponsor: Rep Linder, John

COSPONSORS (7),

Latest Major Action: 7/17/2001 Referred to House committee

Title: To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.

***

The purpose of listing these bills in this manner is to prove an important point: That tax protestors are not conspiracy theorists -- they are conspiracy factualists. Congress knows the IRS must be abolished, it just can't get the job done for some reason (see page 4).