[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 23 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 23

 Expressing the sense of the Congress that the tax giveaway 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 to the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans should be repealed and those 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

                            January 15, 2009

 Ms. Lee of California 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 giveaway 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 to the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans should be repealed and those 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 almost every year and 
        never decreased by a statistically significant amount since 2001, when 
        massive tax breaks for the wealthy began;
Whereas there were 37,300,000 people living in poverty in 2007, an increase of 
        5,700,000 during the administration of President George W. Bush;
Whereas in 2007 13,300,000 children under the age of 18 lived in poverty;
Whereas in 2007 15,600,000 persons lived in extreme poverty, defined as people 
        with incomes lower than one-half of the established Federal poverty 
        guideline;
Whereas 45,700,000 Americans were living without health insurance in 2007;
Whereas for the years 2001 to 2007, the Congressional Budget Office finds that 
        the Federal budget went from a surplus of $128,000,000,000 in 2001, into 
        a deficit of $158,000,000,000 in 2002, peaking at a record 
        $413,000,000,000 in 2004, for a total loss of Federal revenue of 
        $1,263,000,000,000 from 2002 to 2007;
Whereas $1,263,000,000,000 could have provided Head Start enrollment costs for 
        an average of 34,664,470 students annually for the years 2002 through 
        2007;
Whereas $1,263,000,000,000 could have provided health insurance coverage for an 
        average of 74,469,339 uninsured Americans annually for the years 2002 
        through 2007;
Whereas $1,263,000,000,000 could have provided college tuition for an average of 
        39,059,962 university students annually for the years 2002 through 2007;
Whereas $1,263,000,000,000 could have provided an average of 3,649,646 port 
        inspectors annually for the years 2002 through 2007; and
Whereas $1,263,000,000,000 could have provided 9,824,817 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>