[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REPEAL GAS TAX INCREASE

  (Mrs. SEASTRAND asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. SEASTRAND. Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that Americans should 
be able to earn more, keep more and do more with their families, their 
churches and communities. In that regard we are looking toward relief 
to help working families.
  Specifically, we are taking the lead in repealing the President's 
harmful gas tax increase, a gas tax increase which is costing taxpayers 
$4.8 billion a year. What is the President doing? Well, he is calling 
for a government investigation. But keep in mind that the era of big 
government is over. President Clinton said so. The increase in revenues 
from the President's tax increase is funding more big government 
spending, not the maintenance of our Nation's highways, our roads and 
bridges, as is historically the case.
  Mr. Speaker, the worst thing is that this tax increase especially 
hurts lower income families. According to the Joint Economic Committee, 
the lowest 20 percent of taxpayers pay 7.1 percent of their income on 
gasoline while the top 20 percent pay only 1.6 percent. In other words, 
lower income families in America pay four times as much as others. I 
strongly urge the repeal of this tax.

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