[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 87 (Friday, June 20, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              NO TAX BREAKS FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT PAY TAXES

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, there are actually some Democrats who are 
outraged that those who pay no Federal income tax will not benefit from 
the tax credits that are contained in the Republican tax cut plan.
  Let us think about this for a minute. If one pays no Federal income 
tax, should I be upset because I am not getting a tax cut? This, in my 
view, is what we call the mother of all entitlement mentalities. It is 
kind of like complaining about not having a headache because some great 
new aspirin product is not going to do anything for you. Talk about not 
fair.
  So let us see if I got this straight. It is about 9 o'clock on the 
night of April 14 and I am filling out my 1040 and I finally get 
through the form, and at first I am happy as a lottery winner when I 
find that there is no income tax this year being paid by me. Fat zero. 
Then I realize hey, wait a minute. This is not fair. If Congress passes 
a tax cut, I will not get one because I do not pay any taxes. Suddenly 
now I am sad. I guess I am not as lucky as I thought.




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