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, JULY 9, 2002 No. 91 House of Representatives The House met at 10:30 a.m. and was pay Federal income taxes as a result of Jose and Magdalena Castillo of Joliet, called to order by the Speaker pro tem- the Bush tax cut. We eliminate the Illinois, a hard-working couple that pore (Mr. BOOZMAN). marriage tax penalty; we wipe out the benefits from the marriage tax relief in f death tax; we make it easier to save for the Bush tax cut, $1,150, that is several retirement as well as for education. months’ worth of child care for DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO Unfortunately, because of a quirk or an Eduardo and Carolina while they are at TEMPORE arcane rule over in the other body, the work. That is several months’ worth of The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- Bush tax cut ended up being a tem- car payments. It is a significant fore the House the following commu- porary measure. That means if we fail amount of money they could set aside nication from the Speaker: to make permanent the Bush tax cut, in their IRA or their education savings Washington, DC, July 9, 2002. taxes will go back up for over 100 mil- account for retirement or for their I hereby appoint the Honorable JOHN lion American taxpaying households. children’s education. BOOZMAN to act as Speaker pro tempore on I want to draw attention to one of We need to make permanent the mar- this day. the provisions, a provision which many riage tax penalty relief that this House J. DENNIS HASTERT, of us have worked on over the last sev- passed this past year and was signed Speaker, House of Representatives. eral years that is a fundamental issue into law by President Bush. I am proud f of fairness and something we call the to say that just a few weeks ago the marriage tax penalty. Unfortunately, House of Representatives passed over- MORNING HOUR DEBATES prior to the Bush tax cut being signed whelmingly, every House Republican The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- into law, 36 million married working voted ‘‘yes’’ and I also want to note ant to the order of the House of Janu- couples paid higher taxes just because that 60 Democrats broke with their ary 23, 2002, the Chair will now recog- they are married. They paid higher leadership and joined with the Repub- nize Members from lists submitted by taxes because when both husband and licans in voting to make permanent the majority and minority leaders for wife are in the workforce and you com- the marriage tax relief provisions that we passed and were signed into law this morning hour debates. The Chair will bine your income and you file jointly, past year. As a result of making it per- alternate recognition between the par- it pushes you into a higher tax bracket manent, we will see protection for Jose ties, with each party limited to not to and that creates the marriage tax pen- and Magdalena Castillo. We will also exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, alty. If we allow the Bush tax cut to except the majority leader, the minor- see that Jose and Magdalena Castillo expire, 36 million married couples will and 36 million couples like them will ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- pay about $1,700 more in higher taxes ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. no longer pay the marriage tax penalty as a result of the marriage penalty ever. That is why we need to make it The Chair recognizes the gentleman being restored. That is a $42 billion tax permanent. ELLER) for 5 min- from Illinois (Mr. W increase. Again, during this year as we debate utes. Let me introduce a couple from the whether or not to make permanent the f district that I represent in the south elimination of the marriage tax pen- suburbs of Chicago, from Joliet, Illi- MARRIAGE TAX PENALTY alty, there will be those on the other nois, Jose and Magdalena Castillo, side who argue they need to spend the Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I appre- their son Eduardo, their daughter money here in Washington, that $1,150 ciate this opportunity to briefly ad- Carolina. They live in Joliet, Illinois, for Jose and Magdalena Castillo does dress the House on an issue, I believe, they are hard-working Americans, and not really matter because it is really of importance to 36 million married they suffered the marriage tax penalty not a lot of money. The bottom line is working couples. This past year the prior to the Bush tax cut being signed it is a fairness issue. Is it right or is it House of Representatives and President into law. The marriage tax penalty for wrong that under our Tax Code that a Bush had a great accomplishment, that Jose and Magdalena Castillo was about couple who choose to get married was, that we cut taxes across the $1,150. There are some people here in should suffer higher taxes? I think it is board, benefiting every taxpaying Washington who think that we should wrong that we would want to punish American. In fact, over 100 million allow the marriage tax penalty provi- society’s most basic institution. households have seen their Federal sion to expire because they want to The bottom line is, this House of taxes lowered as a result of what we spend that money here in Washington. Representatives has voted overwhelm- call the Bush tax cut; 3.9 million Amer- For the, $1,150 is chump change here in ingly to make permanent the elimi- ican families with children no longer Washington; but for a couple such as nation of the marriage tax penalty. My 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. H4353 . VerDate May 23 2002 02:27 Jul 10, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A09JY7.000 pfrm12 PsN: H09PT1 H4354 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 9, 2002 hope is that the Senate and the House countants in this country, those who JUVENILE DIABETES will join together, that we will have bi- lack integrity have only been The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- partisan support in both the House and emboldened by the permissive environ- ant to the order of the House of Janu- Senate, and that we will send to the ment created by this administration ary 23, 2002, the gentlewoman from President this year legislation to per- and by those on the other side of the Florida (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) is recog- manently eliminate the marriage tax aisle in congressional leadership who nized during morning hour debates for penalty. Because if we do not, couples never met a regulation that they liked. 5 minutes. such as Jose and Magdalena Castillo of Companies like Enron and WorldCom Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I Joliet, Illinois, will see a $1,150 tax in- and Arthur Andersen obviously be- would like to call the Chamber’s atten- crease just because they are married if lieved they could mislead investors tion to the serious issue of juvenile dia- we fail to make permanent the elimi- with impunity as long as this Presi- betes which is usually but not always nation of the marriage tax penalty. dent, this friend of corporate America, diagnosed in children and remains with And if you add up all the couples across was in office. them for life. It has stricken over 16 America who benefit from the elimi- million Americans, and it kills one nation of the marriage tax penalty, 36 And why would they not? In the mid- American every 3 minutes. By the time million married working couples, it dle of the Enron scandal, President that my brief remarks are over, two would be a $42 billion tax increase over- Bush, on behalf of his corporate children will be diagnosed with the dis- all. friends, proposed a zero-growth budget Let us protect Jose and Magdalena for the Securities and Exchange Com- ease, kids like my constituent Victor Castillo. Let us permanently eliminate mission even though the SEC itself Suarez. Diagnosed at age 14, Victor has the marriage tax penalty. Let us work complained it was too short-staffed to to administer daily shots of insulin to together and let us get it done this go after these corporate abuses. Presi- keep him from falling into a diabetic year. dent Bush supported a weak pension re- coma from which there may be no re- covery. Victor’s friends must keep con- f form bill in the House even though thousands of employees in Texas and stant watch of his condition. This is no CORPORATE FRAUD around the country lost their retire- way for Victor or any child to live, but The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ments because of fraud and mis- unfortunately this scene is repeated ant to the order of the House of Janu- management by the President’s friends millions of times every day across our ary 23, 2002, the gentleman from Ohio and his single major contributor and country. (Mr. BROWN) is recognized during morn- fundraiser at Enron. And the President Mr.