GOP resolution: No more income tax

Three House Republicans have proposed the elimination of language in the Constitution that gives Congress the power to collect income taxes.

The resolution from Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), H.J.Res. 104, would repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. That Amendment says, “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.”

{mosads}Bridenstine said Monday that the 16th Amendment directly contradicts other language in the Constitution and must be repealed.

“The 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees ‘The right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,’ ” he said. “The 16th Amendment effectively negates the 4th Amendment. The 16th Amendment should be repealed, and the IRS should be eliminated.”

The idea of the income tax is nearly as old as the country itself. But it became viable in 1916, after a Supreme Court case found that taxing income did not violate the Constitution.

Before then, the government leaned on indirect taxes to fund its operations, and Bridenstine suggested that the government return to these older methods of revenue collection.

“Viable alternative plans for raising revenue fairly to support constitutionally enumerated functions of the federal government have been proposed,” Bridenstine said. “As long as the 16th Amendment is in place and lobbyists dominate Washington, these alternatives will never be considered.”

Under his resolution, the 16th Amendment would be repealed two years after ratification of his proposal, or acceptance by three-fourths of the states. After that, Congress would have “no power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, except in time of war declared by the Congress,” the language states.

It also requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report to Congress on recommendations for legislation needed to implement this article.

Reps. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are co-sponsors of Bridenstine’s resolution.