Political Quotes

“earlier this week, the White House and the Congress reached a historic agreement that will balance the budget by 2002. Today, I rise in support of the portion of the deal that provides tax cuts to American families and small businesses: the Taxpayer Relief Act, H.R. 2014. After enduring sixteen years without any tax relief, Americans will finally benefit from tax cuts that will affect many aspects of their lives. Under our tax package, not only will taxpayers immediately see their tax bill go down, but saving for retirement, paying for college, and investing for the future will be much easier. I am encouraged and pleased that the Republican-led Taxpayer Relief Act provides $95 billion in tax cuts over five years and represents an improved standard of living for taxpayers at every stage of life. This tax relief comes at a time when the nation's tax burden is at an all time high. Partly due to President Clinton's tax hike back in 1993, today's taxpayers face a combined federal, state, and local tax burden of nearly 50% of their income--more than the cost of food, clothing, and shelter combined. In fact, for every eight hours of work, the average taxpayer spends about three hours just to pay the tax collector. And too many families could not survive without two incomes just to make ends meet. We cannot let this situation continue.”