[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 86 (Thursday, June 19, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RESTRICT TAX CUTS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY PAYING TAXES

  (Mr. NEUMANN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. NEUMANN. Mr. Speaker, as this debate on reducing taxes on working 
families in America unfolds, I find it somewhat amazing what is going 
on up there. One of the goofiest criticisms that I have heard is that 
people that are paying no taxes in this country do not get a tax cut. 
Well, out where I come from, people are having a hard time 
understanding how they can cut taxes if they are not paying any taxes 
in the first place.
  Mr. Speaker, some may be feeling a bit confused about this statement, 
and I got to confess I was confused when I first heard it. Now 
presumably the liberal Democrats who have been voicing this criticism 
have been saying this with a straight face. But it is hard to know when 
one is only reading such ridiculous accounts in the newspapers, but 
apparently it is true. There are actually some liberal Democrats who 
are outraged that they will not be getting a tax cut, even though they 
are not paying any taxes in the first place.
  I have to tell my colleagues, back in my district, back in Wisconsin, 
a lot of folks are asking, ``How could you possibly cut taxes if you're 
not paying any taxes to start with? Doesn't that turn the tax cut into 
a social welfare program?'' I have to say that I think it is very 
important that we do restrict the tax cuts to people who are actually 
paying taxes.

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