Rick Allen: “I met with a number of people in the State of Maine, which I represent, the other day. They were concerned about all of…”

“I met with a number of people in the State of Maine, which I represent, the other day. They were concerned about all of the added costs that the State and the municipality were incurring as a result of their efforts to respond to terrorism. State revenues are declining because of the reduced economy and State expenses are going up. But this bill from the Committee on Ways and Means will further reduce State revenues by $5 billion in each of the next 3 years because the tax systems of so many States are tied to changes in the Federal Tax Code, a reduction in State revenues of $5 billion. How will Members from New York and California, which are both facing $9 million deficits, say to their folks back home about what they are doing to reduce State revenues even further? In Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, and Michigan, in those States a billion-dollar deficit is going to be made worse by this bill.”