Sam Brownback: “I want to explain to Members what is taking place here. Yesterday I filed an amendment to the legislative appropriations…”

“I want to explain to Members what is taking place here. Yesterday I filed an amendment to the legislative appropriations bill that would eliminate the marriage penalty we have been talking about this morning. My amendment, which is being cosponsored by several Senators, would reinstate income splitting and provide married couples who currently labor under this Tax Code with some relief. I tried to offer my amendment last Friday with spending legislation that was originally supposed to be debated. However, because of objections from the Democrat side of the aisle to the unanimous consent request that would have guaranteed a vote on eliminating the marriage penalty, we have not been able to get a vote on the elimination of the marriage penalty. Later in the day, another UC was propounded that would have allowed the Senate to move forward with the legislative branch appropriations bill but without my amendment, and to that UC I objected. Subsequently, the cloture motion was filed to bring debate about tax relief to a close and move forward with this legislation. I am asking my colleagues today to vote against this cloture motion so we can consider the marriage penalty that is being objected to by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle.”