David Weldon: “I rise to express disappointment over Mr. Clinton's veto of the bipartisan bill to eliminate the death tax and vowed to…”

“I rise to express disappointment over Mr. Clinton's veto of the bipartisan bill to eliminate the death tax and vowed to work to override the veto once the bill is returned to the House for consideration. Death tax repeal legislation was passed in the House with a strong bipartisan vote (279-136) in June. This bill would help working Americans who have built up family owned small businesses or family farms. I am pleased with the broad support this repeal legislation received across the political spectrum and I hope this will help us override this ill-advised veto. The death tax unfairly forces many working families to sell the family businesses or a family farm just to pay the exorbitant taxes. This is a confiscatory tax that takes half of what someone has spent a lifetime building. When this bill becomes law, it will disinvite the Internal Revenue Service to the funeral. Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore have injected class warfare into this debate. But they must come to realize that this tax is burdensome to all small business owners, including many first generation minority- owned and women-owned businesses. Small business owners have spent years building up family businesses in the hopes of passing them down to their children. The death tax kills these dreams. It forces these families to completely start over. Repealing this tax will also help preserve open spaces.”