Sherwood Boehlert: “the examples of inequities and simply unfair and lacking-in-commonsense provisions of our existing Tax Code are just too…”

“the examples of inequities and simply unfair and lacking-in-commonsense provisions of our existing Tax Code are just too numerous to mention. I wish I could wave a magic wand and eliminate them all overnight. This President and this Congress are doing their best to bring about much-needed and long-overdue tax reform to the American people, but I am a realist. I know that a journey of 1,000 miles requires many steps forward. Today, we have an opportunity to take a joint step forward. I stand before my colleagues as a proud cosponsor and strong advocate for eliminating permanently the marriage tax penalty. And what is the marriage tax penalty? I wish it were easy to explain to the American people, but think of it in these terms. When the only thing that changes in the lives of a man and a woman, not their job, not their income, nothing else, when the only thing that changes is that they fall in love and get married, only to discover that their tax obligation is dramatically increased, not double what they were paying as two single people but double plus, that just does not make sense. The 2001 tax relief act, enacted by President Bush and proudly passed by this Congress, brought fairness to the Tax Code by phasing out this penalty; however, this relief will be reduced next year and will expire entirely by 2010 unless we take the action called for in this good legislation. We want to provide tax relief for the American people.…”