[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 125 (Thursday, September 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H7533-H7534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              INTRODUCTION OF MARRIAGE TAX ELIMINATION ACT

  (Mr. WELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask bipartisan support for a 
new legislative initiative called the Marriage Tax Elimination Act, 
legislation which will bring substantial tax relief to over 21 million 
American working couples who have been penalized with higher taxes just 
because they are married.
  Let me ask this question of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. 
Is it fair that the tradition of our most basic institution in society, 
marriage, is punished under our current Tax Code? And is it fair, is it 
right, that it is really to a married couple's advantage to divorce and 
to live together because they would save money on taxes?
  That is the current situation, Mr. Speaker. Twenty-one million 
American couples pay about $1,400 a year in higher taxes just because 
they are married. That is approximately equal to 6 months' worth of car 
payments, tuition for a child's education in parochial school, or for 
mom or dad to go back to a community college and pursue education. It 
is unfair. It is wrong. Let me share an editorial in the Kankakee Daily 
Journal, a paper in my district. ``The marriage tax is an unfair 
imposition. The Code should be rewritten to eliminate it.''
  I ask bipartisan support, and I ask my colleagues to join with the 
180 cosponsors of the Marriage Tax Elimination Act.

[[Page H7534]]



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