[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 98 (Friday, July 11, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H5134-H5135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WHO BENEFITS FROM THE TAX RELIEF PACKAGE?

  (Mr. PAPPAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, much of the debate over this tax relief 
package has been about the question of who benefits. Leaving aside the 
obvious point that all Americans benefit from a growing economy, I 
would like to draw your attention to this chart.
  This chart uses official statistics from the Joint Committee on 
Taxation. I would ask the other side to admit that, yes, the Joint 
Committee

[[Page H5135]]

on Taxation is bipartisan. This chart scores the tax relief over the 
next 5 years. This chart shows that 76 percent of the tax relief goes 
to middle-class taxpayers, those earning incomes between $20,000 a year 
and $75,000 a year.
  I would like to repeat that fact. Scored by the official bipartisan 
committee in Congress to judge these questions, 76 percent of the tax 
relief goes to middle-class taxpayers, in this case defined as those 
who earn between $20,000 and $75,000 a year.
  I ask liberals on the other side to show me where the Joint Committee 
on Taxation numbers are wrong. Show me how these numbers are in any way 
misleading. Who will step forward?

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