With so much happening on Capitol Hill during the change from Republican to Democrat control, I have not had an opportunity to update you on the status of the Fair Tax. I have heard from many of you who fear that the change in power on Capitol Hill has doomed the FairTax, but I am writing to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth.

A decisive election like the one last November has an uncanny way of focusing politicians on the real reasons that their constituents sent them to Washington. Given the broad nationwide support of the voters for the FairTax, this refocusing is very good news for the FairTax cause.

The opportunity for FairTax this year was obvious on the very first day of this 110th Congress. I reintroduced H.R. 25 on that day, and I did it with more than twice as many original cosponsors than we had for its introduction in the last Congress. Even more exciting, I was able to introduce the FairTax as a bipartisan bill for the first time since 2003. Congressman Dan Boren, a Democrat from Oklahoma, joined me and 23 other colleagues from 11 different states to reintroduce the bill on January 4, 2007. Never before has the FairTax been reintroduced with such broad support.

This record-setting first day of the 110th Congress was only the beginning. Today, just over one month into this Congress, the FairTax and its supporters have amassed an extraordinary 52 cosponsors from 24 states. To put this accomplishment in perspective, in the 107th Congress, we never came anywhere close to this number; in the 108th Congress, we only barely achieved it after two full years; and in the last Congress, the 109th, the FairTax reached 52 cosponsors only after 15 months of hard work by volunteers across the country. As of today in the 110th Congress, the FairTax has garnered this level of support after just one month. Friends, I am under no illusion that we will continue to double the number of Congressional FairTax cosponsors every 30 days, but I am certain that this record-breaking start will produce more broken records and surpassed milestones for the FairTax as we move forward.

As you celebrate these early successes with me, I encourage you to make particular note of the FairTax cosponsors who have never before cosponsored the legislation. Among these names are freshmen Congressmen Timothy Walberg from Michigan and David Davis from Tennessee and veteran Congressmen Dave Weldon of Florida and Ed Whitfield of Kentucky. Another new name on the FairTax that I know you will want to notice is long-time supporter but first-time cosponsor, former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert.

Of course, the success we are seeing on Capitol Hill is simply a reflection of the enthusiasm for the FairTax that is growing across the entire nation. Hundreds of thousands of people have joined together with Americans For Fair Taxation to promote the FairTax. Newspaper articles and editorials are being written almost daily to help educate people on the many benefits of the FairTax, and FairTax rallies are being attended by thousands of people. I want to continue to participate in these exciting FairTax events, and I hope that you will join me at one of them.

The FairTax will be the next grassroots revolution, but the FairTax is a huge idea that will take a great deal of passion to enact. I encourage you to get out there and support the FairTax by telling your friends and neighbors. Everyone knows that the income tax code is complicated and oppressive, but not everyone knows that the FairTax will free them from this intrusive burden. One-by-one, we will win their hearts and minds.

Congratulations to you and all other FairTax supporters on the incredible success that we have seen so far this year. Together, if we remain firm in our commitment and dedication to the cause, we will make the FairTax a reality.