Political Quotes

“I believe there are three questions we can appropriately raise about the tax relief proposed in this act. Is it fair? Is it timely? Does it allow for other priorities? First, is it fair? In the Senate version, the top 1 percent of wage earners in this country get 35 percent of the relief. The top 10 percent, most affluent 10 percent, get half, 54 percent, of the relief. The lowest paid 40 percent of us in this country get 7 percent under this tax bill. The bottom 20 percent get a single percent of the relief. Is it timely? It is not phased in for years. The phase-in on the marriage penalty relief does not even begin until 4 years from now. That is not marriage penalty relief, that is a distant anniversary present, much less than is represented in the tax bill. Finally, is there room for other priorities? There is not a dollar of additional defense spending as soon to be recommended by the Secretary of Defense contained in this budget. It raises the prospect that we will be raiding the trust funds, and the tax bill should be defeated.”