Rick Hill: “Today, Congress will pass a bill to eliminate the marriage penalty affecting over 25 million Americans. In Montana…”

“Today, Congress will pass a bill to eliminate the marriage penalty affecting over 25 million Americans. In Montana alone, 89,169 families suffer from the $1400 penalty where they are required to file a joint return. Repealing the marriage penalty leaves about $125 million in Montana's economy every year. Overall, it puts $182.3 billion back into the nation's economy over the next 10 years. The Marriage Elimination Act is fair because, by doubling the standard deduction for joint returns, widening the 15 percent tax bracket for joint filers to twice single returns, and increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit by raising the 'phased-out' limit by $2000, it will treat married couples the same as single people. Today's families are suffering from increasing demands and burdensome taxes. Eliminating the marriage penalty allows them to spend this money as they wish. The extra $1400 could mean several months of child care, several car payments, or a semester of tuition at a community college. It puts money immediately back into Montana's economy which we can all benefit from. The debate over this issue is essentially who should come first--already burdened taxpayers, or the government. Those of us supporting the measure say taxpayers should come first. The bill is good for families, good for taxpayers, and good for our economy. I commend my colleagues for passing this bill and prioritizing taxpayers over the government.”