The federal government has gotten too fat thanks to how much money it is taking from people.
In 1913, the 16th Amendment was ratified and added to the Constitution. It was made to give the federal government another source of revenue. From its beginning, it has robbed people of their hard-earned money.
The income tax is by far the federal government’s largest source of revenue. In fiscal 2024, individual income taxes make up 50% of its total revenue at $928 billion. For the last three decades, the maximum federal income tax rate has remained relatively steady at around 40%.
Despite how much it takes from people, it still manages to overspend its budget on projects that are harmful to them.
Agencies that target people should be defunded and dismantled, yet the government lavishes them with funding. For example, the Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022, and it increased the budget of the IRS by about $80 billion over the next decade. It also added 87,000 agents to increase audits on all taxpayers.
For over 50 years, the government has given money to Planned Parenthood. In its final year before Roe v. Wade was overturned, it received over $670 billion in federal funding to abort babies, especially in minority neighborhoods. Planned Parenthood is still receiving federal funding today.
Fortunately, there are those in the government who recognize this glaring century-long problem and want to fix it. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) has proposed legislation that is intended to repeal the 16th Amendment, thereby ending the federal income tax.
“Originally the country didn’t have an income tax,” Davidson said. “They passed the 16th Amendment to make it legal to tax people’s income. It was originally just going to be for the really, really rich people. And of course, now it’s hitting everybody.”
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Those who support or condemn the intentions of this bill will show whether they truly care about people. It will also force the government to allocate its remaining resources only to things that are absolutely necessary and actually of benefit to the nation.
The government needs to stop stealing from its citizens. This amendment was blatant theft from the start. It is time we made that clear to our elected officials and get back what is ours.
Parker Miller is a 2024 Washington Examiner Winter Fellow.