[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 5, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4333-H4334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              THE TAX BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Washington [Mrs. Smith] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Ohio [Mr. Hoke].
  Mr. HOKE. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  I wanted to just get on the record with respect to the remarks of the 
minority leader, it seems to me that I cannot imagine that the minority 
leader intended in any way to mislead the House regarding what his 
motion to recommit was. He talked about four items. In fact, there are 
more like 15 or 20 items with respect to it.
  But I would like to give the minority leader both the benefit of the 
doubt as well as the opportunity to tell this House that what he had 
indicated earlier this evening was not a complete statement but it was 
not meant to be an incomplete statement and to tell the entire House 
what the complete statement about the motion to recommit really was.
  The reason that I think that it is important for him to do that is so 
that we clear up the cloud with respect to representations about 
motions to recommit.
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, point of order, point of personal privilege.
  Mr. Speaker, I realize this may predate the Speaker somewhat, but 
several years ago we went through this exact same procedure in which 
Members, in effect----
  Mrs. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman----
  Mr. HOKE. The gentleman is not stating a point of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his point of order.
  Mr. WISE. My point of order is that several years ago we went through 
this procedures where Members would in effect call out other Members on 
the floor, knowing they were not there. It was agreed, I thought, by 
rule, if not by rule by comity, that that process would no longer 
happen. Because, clearly, the minority leader is not here, was not 
served notice that this was going to happen until 2 minutes before when 
somebody came over here and said it was.
  I would just hope for comity purposes alone we will not engage in 
this conduct which several years ago both parties rejected.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. We are not aware of any violation of rule 
from what he said so far.
  Mr. WISE. Then point of parliamentary inquiry. Then it is appropriate 
for a Member to challenge another Members even though they are not 
here, probably cannot be reached, to challenge them on the floor as 
though they were there and ask them to come forward knowing that they 
cannot come forward
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. As long as the Member has not engaged in 
personalities, which they have not.
  Mr. WISE. I thank the Speaker. That is an interesting rule.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Washington may proceed.
  Mrs. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to the 
gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Kelly].
  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, perhaps we have not made clear what Mr. 
Gephardt's motion would have meant for the senior citizens of this 
Nation.
  This would eliminate the repeal of the tax on social security 
benefits. This would eliminate the tax preference for long-term 
insurance, accelerated death benefits and long-term care benefits. This 
eliminates the elderly care tax credit. This would
 eliminate the increase in the Social Security earnings test.

  These are not tax cuts to those who do not need it. The Republican 
deficit reduction tax fairness act is one of the strongest pieces of 
seniors legislation that this Congress has moved to date, and that is 
why I am so proud to be an original sponsor of the seniors portion of 
the legislation.
  Essentially, what we have done with this legislation is remove the 
unfair tax burden that the Democrats imposed on senior citizens in the 
last session of Congress.
  Remember back in 1993 the Democrats imposed a $25 billion tax on our 
Nation's elderly. When President Clinton proposed this tax, he said 
that only the wealthiest Americans would face higher taxes. So, by 
President Clinton's definition, senior citizens living on fixed incomes 
as low as $34,000 are wealthy and ought to pay their fair share.
  Well, what President Clinton and the Democrats in Congress did 2 
years ago was not fair, and after less than 100 days we have just 
corrected this injustice.
  In terms of New York, my State, my elderly will be able to keep more 
than $2.2 billion more of their hard-earned tax dollars, and I can 
assure you that this is going to benefit people who are definitely in 
need of a tax break. They do need it.
  Two of the other key elements of the deficit and tax reduction 
package which benefit the senior citizens are the custodial care tax 
credit and the estate and gift tax exclusion.
  All of us have heard a loved one at one time or another say they did 
not want to go to a retirement home. Well, by instituting a $500 elder 
care tax credit, we have started to take steps to ease their minds and 
their family's financial burden. This helps keep families intact by 
providing financial assistance to families who might otherwise have to 
place parents in a nursing home.
  I will stand strongly behind these tax provisions that help our 
seniors of this Nation.
  Mrs. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, we forget how strong the 
package was for seniors, but I want to talk about working families 
again, just real quick.
  We heard about an average $120-some tax break. There are not any 
``quarter'' of a children. Next April, under this plan that we just 
passed, every child will be worth $500 on the tax return to their 
parents. So if you have two kids, it is $1,000. If you have three kids, 
it is $1,500. That is actual money that you can use to raise your own 
children.
  [[Page H4334]] So for many people that means that government will not 
have to do things for them they can do for themselves. For others, it 
means that they will buy something and pay taxes back into the economy. 
But it is a misnomer; all of the averages are often used to try to 
confuse the American people.


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