[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 30, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H2010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               AMERICANS DESERVE EARLIER TAX FREEDOM DAY

  (Mr. KNOLLENBERG asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, today the tax burden on working 
Americans is as high as it has ever been. We are asking our families to 
pay up to nearly 40 percent of their income in taxes. Tax Freedom Day, 
that is the day when we start working for ourselves and our families, 
is later and later every year. This year it is May 9, 2 days later than 
last year, the latest ever.
  Yet, many of my friends on the other side of the aisle do not feel 
our taxes are high enough. But if they would listen to the American 
people, they would find they are wrong. We can do something about it as 
well. We can provide a family with a $500 per child tax credit, cut 
capital gains, remove estate taxes.
  The facts are clear. The American people are overtaxed and it is time 
to provide relief. Reaching an agreement for working families is not 
going to be easy, but we owe it; we owe it to the American people. Let 
us all do our part to make Tax Freedom Day occur earlier, urge the 
President to live up to his campaign promises, and join our efforts to 
help working Americans loosen the noose of the current tax burden.

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