Jasper Packard: “critics of the Marriage Tax Penalty Relief Act are calling it irresponsible. I rise today to offer what I believe is…”

“critics of the Marriage Tax Penalty Relief Act are calling it irresponsible. I rise today to offer what I believe is truly irresponsible. Mr. Speaker, the past thirty years of taxing hard-working married couples is irresponsible. Over-taxing American families at an average of $1400 annually is irresponsible. Penalizing 25 million families annually is irresponsible. Penalizing 58,781 families in my Southern California district is irresponsible. Placing an unnecessary tax burden on our working men and women who devote their lives to each other in marriage is blatantly irresponsible. Mr. Speaker, critics are calling eliminating the Marriage Tax Penalty reckless. Mr. Speaker, this is not reckless. Punishing working married couples is reckless. American families paying more in taxes than for food, clothing, shelter and transportation combined--is unequivocally reckless. Eliminating the marriage tax penalty for only a quarter of the affected families as the President's plan would do is reckless. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and provide meaningful tax relief for all of our working families. Failure to do so is irresponsible. Failure to honor our most valued institution--the family--is reckless. Let's not lose this opportunity to affirm the American family and provide meaningful tax relief.”