Charles Rangel: “The real issue of the Democratic alternative is this: we say that, first, one deals with protecting Social Security, and…”

“The real issue of the Democratic alternative is this: we say that, first, one deals with protecting Social Security, and then one deals with protecting Medicare, and then one deals with paying down the debt of this country. When that is done, when one has a budget that does these things, the next thing one does is look at a tax bill that relieves the burden of the American taxpayer. Now, my colleagues have seen here that we on the Democratic side are giving $95 billion worth of tax relief under the so-called marriage tax penalty. The chart put up on the other side with a big zero is simply not the truth. But the big issue here is whether we are going to run and give tax relief before we deal with Social Security and Medicare and paying down the debt. Now, 60 percent of married couples are subject to this tax. Some of them are getting a benefit already because of the way the structure is. My colleagues heard $100 billion of what they are spending out of $190 billion tax bill is for people who already are getting a benefit. No sense in that.”