[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 107 (Friday, July 25, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THOSE WHO PAY 80 PERCENT OF THE TAX BURDEN SHOULD GET SOME TAX RELIEF

  (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, when was the last time that we heard a 
liberal talk about who pays what share of the tax burden?
  Now let us think about that for just a minute. I am very curious to 
know if anyone can think of a single instance in the past 84 years 
where a liberal Democrat has talked about who pays what share of the 
tax burden.
  According to the IRS, and C-SPAN viewers can check these figures for 
themselves, the top 1 percent of income earners in this country pay 29 
percent of the income taxes. Again, the top 1 percent pay 29 percent of 
the income tax burden.
  How about this one? The top 25 percent of income earners pay 80 
percent of the income taxes.
  Madam Speaker, I leave it to my colleagues to decide. Are the 
wealthiest Americans paying their share? And do my colleagues think 
that maybe those who pay 80 percent of the tax burden ought to get some 
of the tax relief? My colleagues should decide.

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