Political Quotes

“well, leave it to the House Republicans to convert an issue that enjoys such broad bipartisan support into a totally contrived election-year ploy. Had they the slightest interest in correcting the marriage penalty in a timely way, it would have already been done. In 1997, the Democrats proposed to implement fully the Contract on America provisions, which they so widely ballyhooed all over this country, to put them into effect immediately. But Republicans had other priorities, other special interest priorities. The ``American dream`` about which the last speaker spoke in fact, that is the title they put on their bill regarding the marriage penalty to implement the Contract with America. They called it the ``American Dream Restoration Act.'' But they dropped that provision when Democrats offered it in the Ways and Means Committee as an alternative to other special interest priorities. Last year we had the same thing happen. We proposed more marriage penalty tax relief than Republicans did. But they had their own priorities. They had that special interest provision to provide a tax subsidy for chicken manure. And they had a whole lot of other special interest tax breaks. They were not interested in coming together and cooperating in a bipartisan way to really do something about the marriage penalty. We now have a new millennium. But, unfortunately, we do not have a new era of cooperation from this House leadership.”