Rod Grams: “I wanted to take time before leaving for the weekend to be here to express my strong disappointment with President…”

“I wanted to take time before leaving for the weekend to be here to express my strong disappointment with President Clinton and his Democratic allies in the Congress who have once again denied millions of American couples marriage penalty relief. On August 5, President Clinton vetoed the Marriage Tax Penalty Relief Reconciliation Act. This week, due to strong opposition from some of our Democrat colleagues, the House fell 16 votes short of the number needed to override the President's veto, thus letting down 22 million American couples, including 550,000 couples from my state of Minnesota. These hard-working Americans are penalized, on average, $1,500 per year simply because they are married. This $32 billion annual tax burden is extremely unfair to these working men and women. Washington is taking this money from American couples at a time when it doesn't need the money as much as these families do. This money could be used for savings for their children's education, for daycare, for tutors, for braces, for a new washer/dryer, for a family vacation, or for a down payment on a car. For President Clinton and his Democrat allies in the Congress to deny working men and women this desperately needed tax relief is not only wrong, it is a disgrace.”