[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONFUSION AND DISHONESTY IN DISCUSSION ON TAX CUTS

  (Mr. THUNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. Speaker, there seems to be a lot of confusion in the 
Chamber this morning. To me it is really quite simple. If you pay 
Federal income taxes, you are going to get a lower tax burden. If you 
do not, you do not get lower taxes. I think that is a pretty clear 
distinction.
  But we have a problem here because there is a lot of confusion and 
distortion about what the facts are. The Treasury Department states 
that there are 21.2 million families or people in America who are 
making more than $75,000 a year. That is double the census number.
  I am going to tell the Members why. Because in their number they 
include not only adjusted gross income, but IRA's and Keogh, Social 
Security, life insurance, inside buildup pensions, employer-provided 
fringe benefits, and imputed rental income that you would get if you 
rented your house that you are currently living in.
  Talk about doctoring the numbers. All we are talking about is 
adjusted gross income as adjusted gross income. We have to talk 
honestly if we are going to have an honest debate. There is a lot of 
dishonesty in this town right now. Frankly, anybody who buys into that 
kind of funky bookkeeping must be growing a very long nose.

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