Political Quotes

“the issue before us today is a simple one. It is simply unconscionable that the federal government of the United States would impose a tax penalty on the holy state of matrimony. Of the many outrages contained in our federal tax system, and there are a great many such outrages, none is greater than that of imposing an extra tax burden on a man and a woman simply because they live together as man and wife. In my own 8th District outside of Chicago, over 70,000 families face the marriage tax penalty. Over 70,000 families could enact their very own tax relief by getting a divorce. Our tax code should at the least be neutral with respect to marriage and the marriage penalty relief bill before us would move us at least part way in that direction. And so I strongly support the conference agreement which will eliminate the marriage penalty for millions of American families and reduce it for millions more. Many of my colleagues may not know this, but a little over 20 years ago, I rose before the American people to decry the tax penalty on marriage when I ran for the highest office in the land.”