Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 107 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 148 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002 No. 51 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. linois. They have a combined income of ing efforts to make permanent the f about $85,000. Their marriage tax pen- Bush tax cut. That is why I think it is alty prior to the Bush tax cut was very, very important that we put a MORNING HOUR DEBATES about $1,125 that Jose and Magdalena human face on those who would suffer The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the paid in higher taxes just because they and be hurt by Democratic efforts to order of the House of January 23, 2002, are married. I also want to introduce raise taxes once again, by either sus- the Chair will now recognize Members their children, Eduardo and Carolina pending, eliminating or preventing the from lists submitted by the majority Castillo, and their benefit of the Bush permanency of what we now call as the and minority leaders for morning hour tax cut from the doubling of the $500 Bush tax cut. debates. The Chair will alternate rec- per child tax credit as well. Of course, As I said earlier, there are 43 million ognition between the parties, with each that was $500. We raised that to $1,000. couples like Jose and Magdalena party limited to not to exceed 30 min- Here is the issue. Unfortunately, Castillo who benefit from the marriage utes, and each Member except the ma- there are some arcane rules over in the tax penalty relief in the Bush tax cut, jority leader, the minority leader, or other body which may require that the and in this case, Jose and Magdalena the minority whip limited to not to ex- Bush tax cut sunset in the year 2011. also benefit from $1,000 per child tax ceed 5 minutes. What that means is in a few years, credit which helps families with chil- The Chair recognizes the gentleman elimination of the marriage tax pen- dren. They would also lose that if we from Illinois (Mr. WELLER) for 5 min- alty and the $1,000 per child tax credit fail to make the Bush tax cut perma- utes. that the Castillo family benefits from nent. f will be eliminated, which means that It is often said, and those who argue their taxes will go up. Taxes go up against cutting taxes always say, that PROVIDING PERMANENT TAX $1,000 per child, as well as at least if someone pays taxes they are rich. We CUTS $1,125 a year when the marriage tax know that over 100 million Americans Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I come to penalty elimination expires. benefit from the Bush tax cut. Some of the floor today to draw attention to an We had a very, very important vote, those who really truly benefited are 3.9 issue that so many in this House have an important vote that was important million Americans who no longer pay worked on over the last several years for families like Jose and Magdalena Federal income taxes because of the and that is an issue of fairness. Castillo on this House floor 2 weeks Bush tax cut that we moved through Over the last several years we have ago, and that vote was on making the this House of Representatives, thanks asked a basic question. Is it right, is it Bush tax cut permanent. What that to the leadership of the gentleman fair, that under our tax code a married vote was all about was whether or not from Illinois (Mr. HASTERT), and if the working couple, where both the hus- to impose a tax increase on over 100 Democrats succeed in rescinding or re- band and wife are in the workforce, pay million American taxpayers who ben- pealing or preventing the permanency higher taxes than if they chose not to efit from the Bush tax cut, because if of the Bush tax cut, 3.9 million Ameri- get married? That is an issue I was so we fail to make the Bush tax cut per- cans, including 3 million Americans pleased and when this House under the manent, which lowered rates for all with children, will once again be placed gentleman from Illinois’ (Mr. HASTERT) taxpayers, which provided opportuni- back on the tax rolls. Voting against leadership and with the leadership of ties to set aside more in an IRA and a permanency of the Bush tax cut is a the gentleman from California (Mr. 401(k) and an education savings ac- tax increase. THOMAS) of the Ways and Means Com- count, eliminated the marriage tax Let me go back to the issue which I mittee, that we succeeded as part of penalty for 43 million company couples first raised at the beginning of my re- what is now known as the Bush tax like Jose and Magdalena Castillo, and marks, and that is the whole issue of cut, succeeded in passing legislation also wiped out the death tax so we can fairness. The tax code is complicated, which eliminated the marriage tax keep the family farm and the family and prior to the Bush tax cut, the com- penalty for almost 43 million married business in the family and in business plications of our Federal income tax working couples who on average paid when the founder passes on. forced 43 million Americans like Jose $1,700 more in higher taxes. Unfortunately, as I said earlier, it is and Magdalena Castillo to pay higher Let me give my colleagues an exam- going to expire, and unfortunately, our taxes just because they are married. ple of a married couple from Joliet, Il- friends on the other side of the aisle What caused that is Jose and linois. This is Jose and Magdalena overwhelmingly on the Democratic Magdalena are each in the workforce, Castillo. They are laborers in Joliet, Il- side voted to increase taxes by oppos- they each work as laborers, and when b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H1689 . H1690 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 30, 2002 someone gets married, they file their Republicans in this body last week and Accordingly (at 12 o’clock and 44 taxes jointly which pushes them into a last year made a choice. Do we cut minutes p.m.), the House stood in re- higher tax bracket. We fixed that in taxes on the richest people in the coun- cess until 2 p.m. today. the Bush tax cut. Let us make mar- try, on the largest corporations in the f riage tax elimination permanent. country and a few dollars from the rest My hope is before the end of this year of us, or do we pass legislation that b 1400 that our friends in the other body as provides money for education? AFTER RECESS well as our friends on the other side of On issue after issue after issue, this The recess having expired, the House the aisle will work with us to help cou- Congress made the choice. It sides with was called to order by the Speaker pro ples like Jose and Magdalena Castillo. corporate interests, on the chemical tempore (Mr. CULBERSON) at 2 p.m. f company on arsenic legislation. It sides with the insurance companies on f PROVIDING A PRESCRIPTION privatizing Medicare. It sides with Wall PRAYER DRUG BENEFIT Street in privatizing Social Security. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. It sides with the oil industry in writing The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. BOOZMAN). Pursuant to the order of the environmental policy. It sides with Coughlin, offered the following prayer: House of January 23, 2002, the gen- Enron when writing energy policy. Preserved in Your grace, O Lord, at tleman from Ohio (Mr. BROWN) is rec- That is a choice. The choice is do we do times we may seem at a standstill. But ognized during morning hour debates what is right for the great majority of momentary inactivity may mean a fer- for 5 minutes. Americans or do we take the side of the menting of resolve. Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I wealthiest or the biggest corporations Lord, grant to the Members of the came to the floor today to talk about and the wealthiest individuals? House of Representatives a patience to prescription drugs, how little this Con- That picture, notwithstanding that listen to deepest convictions buried gress is doing to provide a prescription my friend from Illinois put up, the fact within the heart and their delegation. drug benefit and how this body is doing is that that family may have gotten a Inspire a practical wisdom that is even less to control the cost of pre- little bit of money back in tax cuts, wrapped in the art of timing. scription drugs, but I feel compelled to but that family will not be eligible for Help all of Your people of this great comment on the previous speaker’s a prescription drug benefit because Nation grow in perseverance. Deliver comments. Congress, as they get older, because them from headline success, pollster It is always nice to put a nice-look- Congress will not do anything about popularity, and personal insecurity. ing family’s picture in front of TV prescription drugs because the money Strengthened by faith in You, may viewers and in front of this Congress is not there.