Political Quotes

“Again, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for his comments, and his leadership. The gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) has been a real leader, one of the original leaders in our effort to eliminate the marriage tax penalty, one of the items of unfinished business that we have decided under the leadership this year of House Speaker Dennis Hastert to make first out of the box, put on a fast track, to help families by addressing the need to make our Tax Code more fair and more simple, and we will benefit 56 million working Americans who will benefit by eliminating the marriage tax penalty. We have often asked over the last several years as House Republicans have worked to eliminate the marriage tax penalty, is it right, is it fair that under our Tax Code that 28 million married working couples pay more in taxes just because they are married. The average marriage tax penalty is $1,400 in higher taxes just because they are married. In the south side of Chicago, the south suburbs and rural communities that I represent in Illinois, $1,400 is one year's tuition at the local community college; it is three months of daycare at the local daycare center; it is 3,000 diapers for a newborn baby if they suffer the marriage tax penalty. I am so proud that this House has made it a priority once again. I was disappointed, in fact it broke my heart last year when President Clinton and Vice President Gore vetoed our efforts to eliminate the marriage tax penalty.”