Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, the most important thing that the public needs to know about this so-called marriage tax penalty is that it undermines our serious efforts to pay down the national debt, to save Social Security and to provide for Medicare. This bill will explode in 10 years. It costs $182 billion and will consume over one-fourth of the non-Social Security surplus. We are trying to save Medicare. This is a pre-Valentines Day stunt. The institution being threatened is not the institution of marriage, it is the institution of Social Security. Let me assure you lovers are not sitting around saying ``Honey, we better not get married because of the marriage tax penalty.'' But I assure you people on Social Security and people soon to be on Social Security are worried that we do not take some serious action to save Social Security. Now, I agree, we ought to address concerns about the marriage tax penalty for those folks who do pay that tax. But this bill does not do that. Let me tell you what is wrong with the Republican so-called marriage tax penalty bill. First of all, it is another gimmick to give tax relief for the very rich. Two-thirds of the benefit go to the top one-fourth of taxpayers, those people already well off and, moreover, they are doing very well in today's economy. They do not need a tax break. Second, half of the relief goes to people who are not even paying the marriage tax. What is that all about?”