Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I thank Senator Coverdell for his remarks. He laid out the fairness question very well. I thank him for the leadership…”

“I thank Senator Coverdell for his remarks. He laid out the fairness question very well. I thank him for the leadership he has provided in trying to give tax relief to hard-working American families on several fronts. Of course, he was the leader helping people give their children extra education benefits. Unfortunately, that bill was vetoed last year by the President, and hopefully, having passed it again this year, the President will give that area of tax help to the hard-working families who want to send their children to college or who want to buy a computer for their child in elementary school. That has been led by Senator Coverdell. Certainly, Senator Coverdell is now helping lead the effort on reduction of the marriage penalty tax because, of all the Tax Code inequities, this is the biggest. It affects the most people. It is the biggest tax cut that should be given. It is a fairness question. If one is a policeman and making $30,000 a year and marries a schoolteacher, why should they pay $1,400 more in taxes just because they get married? There was no promotion, no bigger salary but the same salaries, two people, and they got married. They pay $1,400 more a year in taxes. It hits the schoolteacher and the policeman the hardest. It is the people making that $25,000 to $35,000 who get hit the hardest. Yet that is the couple trying to save to buy a home for their family or to upgrade a home or to buy the second car or to go on a family vacation.”