CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE June 26, 1997
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H4668 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE June 26, 1997 15 The full text of the relevant paragraph of § 7 pro- But in the last 21¤2 years, since the Philip, and for the grandchildren one vides: ``Every Bill which shall have passed the House of American people elected a new Con- day they will have. Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it be- gress, I am proud to say that the era of Remember, my colleagues, balancing comes a law, be presented to the President of the big government is over and the era of the budget and providing tax relief are United States: If he approves he shall sign it, but if big taxes is over. With the vote that we not matters of accounting; they are is- not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall cast today, we will tell the American sues involving our values, our sense of enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and people that we have heard their mes- right and wrong, how to be helpful and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsider- sage. It is time for Washington to tax how to make the government work for ation two thirds of that House shall agree to pass a change. In the end what we are doing the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objec- less, so that the American people can tions, to the other House, by which it shall likewise do more. is downsizing the power and the scope be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of This plan provides tax relief for life. of Washington, DC, and upsizing the that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such It lets people keep more of the money power, responsibilities, and opportuni- Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined ties of the American people. by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons that they make so that they can spend voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on it or save it as they see fit. This plan So in closing I dedicate this vote to the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill will be a helping hand from the child- Debbie and Phil Spindle of Manassas shall not be returned by the President within ten hood years to the education years, and to the millions of other middle-in- Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been come Americans who have their taxes presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in Like from the saving years to the retire- Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by ment years. raised and want relief. What we do their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which It offers a $500 per child tax credit, today we do for Debbie and Phil and Case it shall not be a Law.'' U.S. Const., Art. I, § 7. including teenagers. It provides edu- working couples across this country 16 The respondents' assertion of their right to vote who are trying to make ends meet, try- on legislation is not simply generalized interest in cational tax relief so parents can send the proper administration of government, cf. Allen v. their children to college. It creates in- ing to rear their children, trying to Wright, 468 U.S. 737, 754 (1984), and the legislators' centives for people to work hard and provide an education. They are the personal interest in the ability to exercise their con- save by reducing the capital gains tax backbone of America. stitutionally ensured power to vote on laws is cer- Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance tainly distinct from the interest that an individual rate, and by expanding the individual of my time. citizen challenging the Act might assert. retirement accounts. It even provides 17 Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield The majority's reference to the absence of any long overdue relief from the death tax. similar suit in earlier disputes between Congress myself such time as I may consume. and the President, see ante, at 14±17, does not strike This plan is dedicated to America's Mr. Chairman, there is a lot of talk me as particularly relevant. First, the fact that oth- forgotten middle-income taxpayers. about this being the first tax cut in 16 ers did not choose to bring suit does not necessarily Fully 76 percent of the tax relief in this mean the Constitution would have precluded them years. We do not hear much about what from doing so. Second, because Congress did not au- plan goes to people with incomes be- President is the one that is advocating thorize declaratory judgment actions until the Fed- tween $20,000 and $75,000 a year. the tax cut. We do not hear much eral Declaratory Judgment Act of 1934, 48 Stat. 955, When it comes to taxes, my philoso- the fact that President Johnson did not bring such about how the economy has improved an action in 1868 is not entirely surprising. phy is simple. We must cut taxes be- from a deficit that was inherited to- f cause tax money does not belong to the ward a balanced budget, and our major government; it belongs to the middle- problem today is that people have a TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT OF 1997 income workers of America who earned different concept of the middle class. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. it, who made it and who are entitled to President Clinton has reached out to ROGAN). Pursuant to House Resolution spend it in the way that they want to my Republican friends and said, ``Can't 174 and rule XXIII, the Chair declares spend it. People in Washington, I we work together?'' the House in the Committee of the think, sometimes forget that, but I Mr. Chairman, I think the President Whole House on the State of the Union never will. will speak for himself in saying what a for the consideration of the bill, H.R. Yesterday a young couple working in terrible disappointment it has been 2014. Manassas, VA, came to Washington. where the White House, the policy b 1155 They are middle income. The husband makers, has been excluded from the and wife both have to work in order to Republican bill. IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE make ends meet. They are the back- Bipartisanship means Democrats and Accordingly the House resolved itself bone of this country. With two chil- Republicans working together with the into the Committee of the Whole House dren, I told them yesterday and I re- President of the United States, and the on the State of the Union for the con- peat it today, tax relief is dedicated to President now says that this has moved sideration of the bill (H.R. 2014) to pro- them. A working mom and dad, they so far away from the issue of fairness vide for reconciliation pursuant to sub- get up every morning, go to work, play that he would not be able to sign the sections (b)(2) and (d) of section 105 of by the rules and try every day to make Republican bill. the concurrent resolution on the budg- ends meet. Because they are middle in- Even in the State of Texas they have et for fiscal year 1998, with Mr. come, they should not lose this credit so skewed and increased the number of GOODLATTE in the chair. people that will be ineligible for the The Clerk read the title of the bill. as they do on the suggested Democrat The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the substitute. child credit that half of the kids in Texas and over half of the kids in the rule, the bill is considered as having b 1200 been read the first time. State of New York will be ineligible for Under the rule, the gentleman from Even with a strong economy they the family tax credit. know how tough it can be to get by, es- Texas [Mr. ARCHER] and the gentleman It seems to me that fairness is some- pecially with teenage children. They from New York [Mr. RANGEL] each will thing that should govern, but somehow control 90 minutes. both have to work so they can live the if we can find people who are working The Chair recognizes the gentleman American dream. every day, paying taxes to local and from Texas [Mr. ARCHER]. Some Democrats in Washington con- State government, that when it comes Mr. ARCHER. Mr. Chairman, I yield sider them rich and want to take the to saying give them a break, the people myself such time as I may consume. $500-per-child credit away, but we will on the other side think that people who Mr. Chairman, it has been 16 years not let that happen. Like millions of work in low incomes are asking for since the American people have re- other middle-income Americans they welfare. ceived tax relief, 16 years. While taxes need and deserve tax relief, and that is Mr. Chairman, I think it is arrogant have not gone down for such a long what the vote today is all about. and all Americans ought to be indig- time, they surely have gone up over Today's vote is about providing tax nant, when people do not even consider and over again. For too many years, relief to the people who pay taxes. We going on welfare and they work every the Government has failed to listen to are not only providing tax relief to the day, they work with their families.