Roy Cooper: “I think the gentleman really thinks a more explicit amendment would have been subject to a point of order, which is…”

“I think the gentleman really thinks a more explicit amendment would have been subject to a point of order, which is exactly what the gentleman from Oklahoma would have preferred. Second point, picking on poor people. If my colleague is going to do it, at least be fair about it. Remember, under this bill we would still allow $25 million to be spent to implement the IRS precertification. Remember, again, that even the IRS has admitted that their prior efforts have gone too far because they, IRS, on their own initiative has delayed and canceled their program because even they have realized they were insensitive to the needs of these families. Another mischaracterization, the program was put into place, as I recall, years ago before my time by a Republican President, and I think it was Richard Nixon, because he and many Americans realized the detrimental effect of a high marginal rate of taxation. As a person works and moves out of poverty, they are subject to an extraordinarily high and punitive tax rate. The EITC is designed to bring that back to a decent, bearable level for these hardworking families.”