E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2007 No. 61 House of Representatives The House met at 10:30 a.m. and was have considered three mammoth and On this day that millions of Ameri- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- expensive tax bills in 2001, 2003 and 2004 cans are filing their tax returns and 4 pore (Mr. HOLDEN). that refused to address the alternative million are paying the mutated, unfair f minimum tax inequity. They have alternative minimum tax, it is time to made few modest additions with broad have that critical national debate on DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO benefit like the 10-percent bracket but taxes in honest terms: TEMPORE showered their real attention, their af- Should we tax people who work at The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- fection, and huge sums of money on jobs more than people whose money fore the House the following commu- those who need help the least. In the works for them? nication from the Speaker: process, the $5.6 trillion surplus inher- Do we care about reducing the ability WASHINGTON, DC, April 17, 2007. ited by this administration has evapo- of some very privileged people to es- I hereby appoint the Honorable TIM rated, to be replaced by $2 trillion more cape taxation? HOLDEN to act as Speaker pro tempore on in additional national debt. What is our priority for tax reform? this day. In the meantime, the alternative Is it to freeze the patchwork of special NANCY PELOSI, minimum tax, signed into law by Re- interest provisions over the last 6 Speaker of the House of Representatives. publican President Richard Nixon to years? Or to prevent 32 million families f ensure that the richest of Americans, from an unjust alternative minimum MORNING HOUR DEBATES who used tax shelters, pay at least tax, and then paying billions more to some income tax, has morphed into a accountants just to calculate the dam- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- tax on millions of Americans who are age? ant to the order of the House of Janu- caught because they pay their State I would hope that this is the last year ary 4, 2007, the Chair will now recog- and local taxes and are raising their that this unjust tax is used to provide nize Members from lists submitted by families but largely leaves the most unnecessary tax benefits for those who the majority and minority leaders for wealthy untouched. need them the least at the expense of morning hour debates. The Chair will Without extraordinary action, over those truly in need of tax relief. alternate recognition between the par- the course of the next 3 years the alter- f ties, with each party limited to not to native minimum tax will ensnare 32 exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, million families, virtually every two- RECESS except the majority leader, the minor- worker middle-class family with chil- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- dren. It won’t bother the hedge fund ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. manager or the NBA superstar but it declares the House in recess until noon The Chair recognizes the gentleman will tax the teacher married to the today. from Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 firefighter with two kids. Because a tax Accordingly (at 10 o’clock and 35 minutes. shelter now means paying your local minutes a.m.), the House stood in re- f property and income taxes but does not cess until noon. include the tremendous tax advantage ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX from capital gains, it won’t hit the f REFORM high-tech billionaire but will hit the b 1200 Mr. BLUMENAUER. Thank you, Mr. postal worker and the nurse with three AFTER RECESS Speaker. teenage kids at home. Today, 4 million Americans are pay- The zeal to make permanent these The recess having expired, the House ing the price for the misplaced tax pri- tax changes has left the needs of tens was called to order at noon. orities of the Bush administration and of millions of Americans at risk. In- f the Republicans here in Congress. For deed, the number one priority of the the last 6 years, their obsession with administration and the Republicans in PRAYER assisting the top 1⁄10 of a percent and Congress for taxation would not only The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. other favored special interests to re- make a true reform of the alternative Coughlin, offered the following prayer: duce their tax burden has riddled the minimum tax prohibitively expensive, All powerful God, yet so loving and Tax Code with more loopholes, adding it would rely on the ever-widening merciful, be present and attentive to about a million and a half more words reach of the alternative minimum tax those most in need. A Nation tossed by to that code. At the same time they to finance their schemes. violent storms and upset by tragic 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. H3403 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:49 Apr 18, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A17AP7.000 H17APPT1 ccoleman on PRODPC74 with HOUSE H3404 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 17, 2007 human events surrounds grieving fami- may qualify for the earned income tax those who can afford to hire them. For lies and young people in schools with credit, we will save struggling families those who must tread tax season alone, its prayers today. many thousands of dollars a dearth of regulation opens these citi- As faith-filled Abraham reveals Your Tax preparation is a multibillion-dol- zens up to Internet scams and identity own filial love as he gazed on his son lar business in America. It is useful to theft. A lack of easily accessible infor- Isaac, so we identify with any parent those who can afford it, but no one mation ensures that money-saving pro- who groans in mourning over the life- should be forced to hire an accountant visions like the earned income tax less body of a child. Bring Your love to or a preparer just to ensure that they credit go unnoticed and unutilized, bear upon the campus of Virginia Tech can enjoy the benefits that many of us costing Americans hundreds or even and all the families affected by the take for granted. Nor should the indus- thousands of dollars. crackling sound of gunfire and then the try be able to prey on taxpayers with The Taxpayer Protection Act unbearable silence that follows. unfair refund anticipation loans. changes that, turning a bureaucracy Thrown by the rush of terror and anx- This piece of legislation will improve designed for accountants into a system iety, may the people of God now reach the safeguards against fraud. By in- made for Americans. This bill will en- out to them in their overwhelming mo- creasing reporting requirements on the sure that Americans who benefit from ment of helplessness. IRS, the agency will become a vital the earned income tax credit are those You, Lord, through the prophet Isa- component in the important fight who deserve it, not only those who are iah have said You would care for the against identity theft. shrewd enough to find it. young: ‘‘The Lord, our everlasting God, As many Americans rush to file their Over the last 6 years we have seen a creator of the whole world, grows nei- taxes on time this week, we all want to tax system that has worked very well ther weary nor faint. Yet no one can feel secure that the refund we receive for the extremely rich. I urge my col- fathom God with full understanding. is no more or less than we deserve. leagues to pass the Taxpayer Protec- He gives vigor to the weary, new f tion Act. strength to the exhausted. Even if the TODAY IS TAX DAY f young and vigorous grow weary and CONGRESS NEEDS TO MAKE TAX faint, and stumble and fall, those who (Mr. KELLER of Florida asked and RELIEF PERMANENT look to the Lord will receive new life. was given permission to address the They will be lifted up on the wings of House for 1 minute.) (Mr. WALBERG asked and was given eagles. They will run and never tire. Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speak- permission to address the House for 1 They will march and never grow er, today is tax day. Millions of Ameri- minute.) weary.’’ cans will write big fat checks to Uncle Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, over We believe in You and with You, Sam. Who is paying the bill? The top 10 the past few weeks Americans across Lord God, they will live in Your pres- percent of households, families with in- our country have taken time out of ence until we are all reunited, forever comes of $100,000 or more, pay 70 per- their busy schedules to complete their and ever. cent of all Federal income taxes. Coin- 1040s, 1099s and W–2s by the April 17 Amen. cidentally, 70 percent of all the new deadline. jobs in America are created by small They did so in many different ways.