Walter B. Jones: “I come to the floor about once a week to talk about a bill, H.R. 693, to repeal the tax on the death gratuity. The death…”

“I come to the floor about once a week to talk about a bill, H.R. 693, to repeal the tax on the death gratuity. The death gratuity is a payment to the families who have lost a loved one in uniform, whether they be training or they be in war. A couple of years ago I heard about this tax; and I thought about how unfair, how unacceptable that any family who has given a loved one in uniform for this country should have to pay a tax on a very small amount of money known as the death gratuity of $6,000. A year ago I introduced a bill that would take care of this tax and remove it. It was put in a larger package by the House leadership, which I appreciated, and sent over to the other body; but they did not act on the legislation. So we went another year that families who lost loved ones paid a tax on their gift of that loved one to this Nation and for freedom. Again this year, Madam Speaker, we sent a bigger bill over with this language in it that would repeal the tax, but the other body will not take it up.”