[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 282 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 282

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the tax give away since 2001 
 to the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans should be repealed and those 
monies instead invested in vital programs to relieve the growing burden 
        on the working poor and to alleviate poverty in America.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 27, 2005

   Ms. Lee submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the tax give away since 2001 
 to the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans should be repealed and those 
monies instead invested in vital programs to relieve the growing burden 
        on the working poor and to alleviate poverty in America.

Whereas the number of persons living in poverty has risen every year since 2001 
        when massive tax breaks for the wealthy began;
Whereas there were 37,000,000 people living in poverty in 2004, an increase of 
        5,400,000 during the administration of President George W. Bush;
Whereas in 2003 over 12,900,000 children lived in poverty;
Whereas in 2003 15,600,000 persons lived in extreme poverty, defined as people 
        with incomes lower than one-half of the established Federal poverty 
        guideline;
Whereas the number of Americans lacking health insurance rose to 45,800,000 in 
        2004, meaning that more Americans are now without health insurance than 
        at any point since the Census Bureau began collecting comparable data in 
        1987;
Whereas for the years 2002 through 2005, the tax cuts for the wealthiest 5 
        percent of Americans has cost an estimated $352,600,000,000 in Federal 
        revenue;
Whereas budget deficits jumped from $32,500,000,000 in 2001 to $317,500,000,000 
        in 2002 primarily due to a precipitous drop in lost tax revenue;
Whereas $352,600,000,000 could have provided Head Start enrollment costs for an 
        average of 11,675,496 students annually for the years 2002 through 2005;
Whereas $352,600,000,000 could have provided health insurance coverage for an 
        average of 20,020,440 uninsured Americans annually for the years 2002 
        through 2005;
Whereas $352,600,000,000 could have provided college tuition for an average of 
        17,093,271 university students annually for the years 2002 through 2005; 
        and
Whereas $352,600,000,000 could have provided 3,174,831 new low income housing 
        units: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the portion of all tax cuts enacted in or after 2001 
        which benefits the wealthiest top 5 percent of Americans and 
        burdens the Nation's impoverished and working poor with rising 
        debt and fewer services should be repealed, and
            (2) the revenues from such repeal be used to relieve such 
        burdens and alleviate poverty in America.
                                 <all>