[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 61 (Monday, April 3, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4083-H4084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICANS WANT TAX CUTS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. I want to continue the remarks that were
made by my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Chabot]. I think he
well elucidates the reasons we need to have the tax credits and the tax
cuts adopted here in the House this week. You know, looking at what the
American people want, Mr. Speaker, they want three things. They want to
see tax cuts, spending cuts, and deficits reduction,
[[Page H4084]] and under the Contract With America we can achieve all
three. We have already earmarked $180 billion for deficit reduction, we
already earmarked $190 billion for spending cuts, and this is according
to the Congressional Budget Office, and the third is now we are dealing
with the tax cuts. Let me just review, if I can, a few of those tax
cuts we are speaking about in legislation this week which we think is
going to be a positive step for all American families.
First, the family tax credit. Five hundred dollars tax credit for
each child in a family; this will help families with their basic
expenses. We also have the American dream savings accounts. By this we
will have established a new savings vehicle where we will have on a
joint return $2,000 for each spouse and a tax deduction dealing with
the IRA's, $2,000 for each spouse.
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This will increase savings and encourage each family to have the nest
egg they need in retirement. We are going to take care of our help for
Senior citizens by repealing the tax increase on Social Security
benefits. The 1993 increase in the amount of Social Security benefits
which was subject to income taxation will be repealed. Also we will
raise the Social Security earning limit from $11,280 to $30,000 phased
in over 5 years. That will help many of our senior citizens who are
independent and maintain a degree of income without impinging on their
Social Security with their own fixed incomes.
Mr. Speaker, under this legislation we will have tax incentives for
private long-term care insurance, allow tax-free withdrawals from IRA's
for long-term care insurance. We will also provide capital gains relief
for individuals by cutting in half the rate to 19 percent. This will
encourage savings, business expansion, job creation. For businesses, a
25 percent alternative tax for capital gains.
We will also have in this legislation, Mr. Speaker, a taxpayer public
debt check-off and trust fund. This bill will allow individual
taxpayers to pay up to 10 percent of their tax liability to a public
debt reduction trust fund. A tax credit for adoption expenses up to
$5,000. Tax credit for adoption expenses up to $5,000. Tax credits for
the home care of the elderly. All of these items will help all of our
individuals. In addition, we even have special expensing for small
businesses. The bill will increase the amount of property a small
business can expense. This will encourage, again, more jobs in our
society.
Mr. Speaker, we can have all three: Spending cuts, deficit
reductions, and tax cuts which will help our families, help our
businesses expand and produce higher, and will also help every single
sector of our society do better and achieve the American dream.
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