Max Baucus: “there have been a lot of statements on the floor, a lot of words. A lot is accurate and a lot is inaccurate. I would…”

“there have been a lot of statements on the floor, a lot of words. A lot is accurate and a lot is inaccurate. I would like to set things straight on what it is we are voting and on what it is we are not voting. It has been said here that 100 percent of the benefit in the majority bill goes to married couples. That is true. But this is not a marriage relief bill we are talking about today. Marriage has its own rewards. We are not talking about a marriage relief bill. We are talking about a marriage tax penalty relief bill. The proposition offered by the minority Members, all Democrats on the Finance Committee, which is the amendment we hope can be offered to solve the marriage tax penalty, is a marriage tax penalty relief bill. It is not a marriage relief bill. It is a marriage tax penalty relief bill. What I am saying is 60 percent of the benefit in the majority bill goes to people who have no penalty; 100 percent of the provisions in the Democratic bill go to those who are in a penalty position. Let's remember, a little over half of Americans are in a marriage bonus situation; that is, as a consequence of marriage, they pay less taxes than they would pay if they filed singly; whereas a little less than half of Americans are in a penalty position; that is, they pay more taxes as a consequence of being married compared to what they would pay if they were married filing singly.”