[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 98 (Friday, July 11, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         EVERYONE IN AMERICA IS RICH ACCORDING TO THE LIBERALS

  (Mr. THUNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, liberals have a funny 
way of figuring out who is wealthy. They say that 21.2 million 
Americans make more than $75,000 a year. But the Census Bureau says 
only 11 million people earn that much. So who are we going to believe?
  Well, here is how liberals come up with numbers. They are not looking 
at take home pay, they are not looking at how much money is available 
at the end of the month to pay bills, they are adding all the things 
they take out of one's paycheck. Here is what they are adding, 
considering part of one's income:
  First, one's adjusted gross income; the money taken out of the 
paycheck for IRA and Keogh deductions, the money taken out of the check 
for social security, the money taken out of the check for pensions, the 
money taken out of the check for life insurance. They are even adding 
the money one pays in rent every month.
  Now I do not know about my colleagues, but the last time I wrote out 
a rent check it felt more like an expense than income.
  Now add all these things up, and everyone in America is rich, and 
that is funny because most people in America do not feel very rich 
after they pay bills every month. That is why we Republicans are 
working to give working Americans, not rich Americans, tax cuts, their 
first tax cuts in 16 years.

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