Earl Pomeroy: “I want to begin by offering the comment that on any tax measure brought to the floor of this House, I believe it is…”

“I want to begin by offering the comment that on any tax measure brought to the floor of this House, I believe it is entirely appropriate to discuss the larger budget framework facing this country, the out-of-control deficit, the record level of deficit leading to records of levels of debt leading to the impending vote on debt limit. These are all very serious financial matters before the country and brought obviously germane to any discussion of tax cuts, even the one before us. But I want to speak in favor of this bill. I would have preferred that an offset be included, offsetting the cost of this bill. But, nonetheless, this is a very measured, targeted, and important piece of social policy; and it strikes me right where I live. On February 3, 1994, I was a freshman Member of this body. My workday ended with a drive to National Airport where my daughter came off the plane from Korea, my daughter, Kathryn, adopted daughter Kathryn; and it was the greatest day of my life, until May 29, 1996, when in another trip after another day out to National Airport brought me face to face for the first time with my baby boy, Scott. These children have enriched my life more than anything else possibly could and beyond my wildest imagination. Each day with them is a pure joy.”