On the recordApril 16, 2015
I thank the gentleman from Texas for allowing me time to speak, recognizing that Texas is also affected--one of the States affected by this bill, as well as Washington State, which is the State where I come from, and several other States. I rise to support H.R. 622, the State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Fairness Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation. Madam Speaker, this bill is really about two things. It is about fairness, and it is about certainty. Fairness because Washington is one of, as I said, several States without an income tax--and by allowing this deduction of State and local taxes, this legislation will put Washingtonians on the same level as those people who live in States that have an income tax. That is all. It is plain and simple. It is fairness. That is all we are asking for in this bill. Certainty because people work hard, they pay their sales taxes, and at the end of the year, they want to know for sure that they can deduct their sales taxes. That is all it is, fairness and certainty. Fairness puts us on parity with the rest of the States across the country and certainty in allowing those people in the State of Washington, Texas, and others to know that, when they spend and pay their sales taxes, they can deduct those from their Federal income taxes at the end of the year. That is it.
