Deborah Pryce: “Mr. Speaker, this is a customary rule for the consideration of a conference report, and I hope my colleagues will…”

“Mr. Speaker, this is a customary rule for the consideration of a conference report, and I hope my colleagues will support it. The conference report on the Marriage Tax Penalty Elimination Act has been crafted in the true spirit of compromise, not just between the House and Senate negotiators, but also in an effort to accommodate the President's views. We have heard the White House's message. They want a smaller tax cut. So we have pared back this legislation. What Republicans hope is that the White House now hears our message and that of the American people who are clamoring for a fair, simpler Tax Code. The inequities and illogical provisions in our Tax Code are too numerous to count. But today we have a chance to provide some fairness by eliminating one of its most egregious provisions. We can do it in a fiscally responsible manner. There is no excuse why at this time of peace, prosperity, and budget surpluses that we cannot give a little bit back to the American people who are doing the work to keep this economy going and feeding the Government's coffers with their own hard-earned cash. It is time to temper the Government's greed, and what better place to start than by supporting America's families.”