Duncan Faircloth: “I rise to voice strong opposition to this amendment because it simply is another tax on the American family. It is a tax…”

“I rise to voice strong opposition to this amendment because it simply is another tax on the American family. It is a tax increase, Mr. President, nothing more. This is a $30 billion solution to a far less expensive problem. The budget agreement already sets aside $16 billion over 5 years for children's health insurance. That will extend coverage to 5 million uninsured children. Further, there are 3 million children that are now covered under Medicaid who, quite simply, have not yet been signed up. There are estimates of 2 million more uninsured children, and, of course, they can be covered for far less than $30 billion. Consequently, Mr. President, this $30 billion tax package is nothing more than an old-fashioned tax increase. We sit here and we hear it is a great opportunity. However, Mr. President, has there ever been a tax increase that was not an opportunity to further gouge the working people of this country? Sure, it is always good politics to give a speech about tobacco, and the cameras love it. But this vote is not about tobacco, Mr. President, it is about a tax increase. It is not about children, Mr. President, it is about another tax increase on the American people. I remember sitting in the House Chamber at President Clinton's State of the Union Address in 1995. He said that 'the era of big Government is over.' The President campaigned for a middle-class tax cut in 1992 and 1996. I recall that we insisted that Government live within its means.”