[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H9986-H9987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN SUPPORT OF THE 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 and include extraneous 
material.)
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Marriage Tax 
Elimination Act. I would like to speak in favor of this important 
legislation with a few simple questions.
  Mr. Speaker, do Americans feel it is fair that our Tax Code imposes a 
higher tax penalty on marriage? Do Americans feel that it is fair that 
21 million middle-class married working couples pay an average of 
almost $1,400 in higher taxes just because they are married? Do 
Americans feel it is morally right that our Tax Code provides an 
incentive to get divorced?
  Of course not. The marriage tax is not only unfair, it is wrong. It 
is immoral that our Tax Code punishes our society's most basic 
institution, marriage, with a tax penalty of almost $1,400 for 21 
million working couples. The Marriage Tax Elimination Act eliminates 
the marriage penalty. It is important legislation that deserves 
bipartisan support. I am pleased we now have 223 cosponsors to 
eliminate the marriage tax penalty.
  I include the following material for the Record:

                          Marriage Tax Quotes

       If we are really interested in ``putting children first'', 
     then why would this country penalize the very situation 
     (marriage) where kids do best? When parents are truly 
     committed to each other, through their marriage vows, their 
     children's outcomes are enhanced. Children from solid, 
     married families have higher graduation rates from high 
     school and lower rates of drug abuse and teenage pregnancy.--
     Gary & Carla Gipson of Houston, Texas.
       I am a 61 year old grandmother, still holding down a full 
     time job, and I remarried three years ago. I had to think 
     long and hard about marriage over staying single as I knew it 
     would cost us several thousand dollars a year just to sign 
     that marriage license. Marriage has become a contract between 
     two individuals and the federal government.--Mary A. Hottel 
     of New Castle, Virginia.

  Last, I would like to share the few simple words spoken by a 
constituent of mine in Illinois' 11th Congressional District:

       You try and be honest and do things straight, and you get 
     penalized for it. That's just not right.--Mike Reading--
     Monee, Illinois.
                                                                    ____


                [From the Daily Journal, Sept. 11, 1997]

                            The Marriage Tax

       Congressman Jerry Weller is taking a leading part in the 
     campaign to repeal the marriage tax.
       A story in The Daily Journal Wednesday reported that both 
     he and Rep. David MacIntosh of Indiana are spearheading an 
     effort to get the tax repealed. They would like to see its 
     repeal as part of any new tax bill next year.
       We agree. The marriage tax is an unfair imposition. The 
     code should be rewritten to eliminate it.
       While we are all for simplicity in the tax code, the 
     reality is that taxes drive social engineering. People will 
     do anything, almost anything, that's legal to avoid taxes. 
     Thus, throughout the 1980s, depreciation rules drove the 
     construction, even overbuilding, in many areas of the 
     country. Large portions of the health insurance crises were 
     driven by a change in the tax laws. You used to be able to 
     deduct insurance entirely off your income tax. It should not 
     have surprised lawmakers that the percentage of people taking 
     health insurance dropped when the deductibility of health 
     insurance shrank.
       Thus, laws should encourage, rather than discourage, 
     marriage. And they should encourage, rather than discourage, 
     couples from staying together.
       It is patently unfair that a married couple, where both 
     work, is taxed at a higher rate than two separate people. 
     Every year you hear of a couple that humorously goes through 
     a sham divorce just for tax purposes.
       This year, the government did lurch in the right direction 
     by enacting tax credits to help parents. Now it should act to 
     help the rest of the family by repealing the marriage tax. 
     Weller's initiative deserves support.
                                                                    ____


                 [From the Herald News, Oct. 16, 1997]

        Working Families Welcome Repeal of Marriage Tax Penalty

       Elimination of the marriage tax penalty looks like a 
     ``can't miss'' campaign for married couples and Rep. Jerry 
     Weller, R-Morris.
       The problem is that it has failed in the past, most notably 
     it was part of the recent Republican ``Contract with 
     America.'' It has been vetoed twice by President Bill 
     Clinton.
       Backing this tax reform is like supporting hot dogs and 
     apple pie. It's ``politically correct.''
       Weller's bill would allow married couples to select 
     ``single'' or ``married'' on their Internal Revenue Service 
     forms. They can pick the filing status that brings them the 
     greatest tax relief.

[[Page H9987]]

       Like any ``relief,'' this proposal has a price tag. More 
     than 21 million married couples pay an average of $1,400 more 
     in taxes because they file joint income tax returns.
       Weller has 218 co-sponsors for this legislation so far. 
     That's a majority in the House of Representatives. The key 
     player in his corner is House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. 
     Gingrich said that an anticipated budget surplus next spring 
     could be used to offset the loss of revenue caused by the 
     eliminating the marriage tax penalty.
       Even a heavyweight like Gingrich will face opposition with 
     this unfair tax. There are numerous other uses for that 
     projected surplus, including legislators who want to spend 
     more to repair the nation's highways.
       All of this considered, the elimination of the marriage tax 
     should have appeal for working families. Weller said the tax 
     change would be the centerpiece of any 1998 tax relief bills.
       Working couples should support this concept. The tax is 
     clearly discriminatory.
       Weller released the results of a national poll this week 
     that showed Americans support repeal of the marriage tax. We 
     are sure of that. This is a middle class issue that will draw 
     considerable support when it is explained to taxpayers.
       Taxpayers across America should support repeal of the 
     marriage tax. In this region that means contacting Weller's 
     office or Rep. Harris Fawell of Naperville. It will bring 
     clear-cut tax relief to married couples. There may be 
     competition to use federal dollars for other purposes but 
     working people need to stand up and be counted on this 
     proposal.
       Marriage should not be penalized by the IRS.

                          ____________________