Duncan Faircloth: “Mr. President, I want to join the Senator from Texas in thanking the chairman of the Budget Committee, Senator Domenici…”

“Mr. President, I want to join the Senator from Texas in thanking the chairman of the Budget Committee, Senator Domenici, for including a repeal of the marriage penalty tax in the budget resolution which was unveiled today. Mr. President, Senator Hutchison, Senator Connie Mack, and I have sponsored legislation to remove this unfair tax. It penalizes couples simply because they get married. Because of the hard work of Chairman Domenici and the Budget Committee, we are making progress in getting rid of this tax. The majority leader, Senator Lott, has also been tremendously supportive. Senator Hutchison, Senator Lott, and I recently pledged on Valentine's Day that we would work to have this tax burden removed by Valentine's Day next year. I think it is a reasonable goal and a step closer with today's budget resolution. What better use of money could we have, what better use than to give tax relief to a young couple getting married? The Congressional Budget Office has determined that 21 million married couples pay an average of $1,400 in extra income tax each year because they chose to get married. The Tax Code in its simplest form should encourage people to get married and not leave them with a heavy tax bill because they did get married.”