Political Quotes

“I support the Gephardt substitute which provides $31.6 billion in tax relief to American families earning primarily between $20,000 and $85,000 per year, and encourages investments in education and training to strengthen our economy. This is a responsible, fully paid for, and carefully targeted plan, and I applaud the efforts of the Democratic leader in bringing this to the House today. I am opposed to the underlying deficit-busting tax legislation proposed by our Republican colleagues. It hurts middle- and low-income families, businesses, many States, and children. It benefits the wealthiest Americans instead of those who need relief the most. It costs too much and will likely add billions to our Nation's deficit and debt. H.R. 1215 is simply another tax giveaway for the well-off. Under this legislation, households earning $200,000 a year would receive an average tax cut of $11,266, while those earning under $30,000 a year would receive on average only $124. This is patently unfair. H.R. 1215 hurts middle- and low-income American families. They are unlikely to see any significant benefits from the bill's provisions. In fact, because the bill's centerpiece--a $500 tax credit for each child--is nonrefundable, it is estimated that 24 million children would not qualify for the credit because their families' income is too low to have any tax liability.”