[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]




       THE DEMOCRATIC TAX PACKAGE ACKNOWLEDGES WORKING AMERICANS

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thought that we could 
civilly discuss this very important issue of taxes. Unfortunately, Al 
Hunt also in that article said that a police officer making $23,000 a 
year would get nothing under the House and Senate proposal.
  But let me really focus the Members. A single mother lives with her 
7-year-old daughter in Texas. She has been working as a bank teller for 
several years. She gets $20,000 a year. She tallies up her tax. She 
pays $1,200 in Federal income tax. She gets a $1,150 earned income tax 
credit. However, she pays $1,500 in payroll taxes, not to mention what 
her company pays for her.
  How does the gentleman dare say this working woman making $20,000 
should not get the $500 a year tax credit and claim that she is on 
welfare? How dare he insult those single working mothers who are every 
day taking care of their children? I am ashamed. The Democratic 
alternative, the President's bill, acknowledges working Americans.
  Let me just simply say that the OTA, and that is the Treasury Office, 
its tax analysis, an independent body has said, provides a more 
comprehensive measure, more consistent with how economists would 
measure the bill's benefits to individuals, meaning the President's 
calculus is more accurate than the Republicans.
  This is a ridiculous debate. Vote for working men and women and vote 
for the Democratic plan.

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