[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 15 (Wednesday, February 25, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H615-H616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING 9 YEARS OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE, AND URGING MEMBERS TO HELP END 
                        THE MARRIAGE TAX PENALTY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a point of personal privilege 
this afternoon. While I acknowledge that every constituent within the 
Sixth Congressional District of Arizona is very important, I think my 
colleagues, and indeed, my constituents, will not mind if I talk about 
the one to whom I refer as my most important constituent, because, Mr. 
Speaker, it was on this date 9 years ago today that Mary Denice Yancey 
became Mary Denice Hayworth. In those 9 years I have been honored 
beyond compare.
  The institution of marriage is many things: A sacred partnership, a 
friendship, a trust, a shared endeavor. Mary Hayworth, Mr. Speaker, has 
been my best friend and companion and helpmate for this Member, is 
often said to have the ability to put into words many things. It is 
essentially indescribable.
  For those of us who endeavor to serve and embrace this public life, 
there are many challenges, challenges of spending time here in the 
Nation's capital as well as spending time in the district, challenges 
of family. We live in the Sixth District. Mary several days of the week 
basically has to take care of all the responsibilities of the 
household, and added responsibilities of a congressional spouse.
  But I cherish her and I appreciate her, and I love her very much for 
all that she does for me and our family. Mr. Speaker, I think it is 
proof positive that miracles can and do happen that someone like Mary 
Denice Hayworth is there to help me and love me and encourage me.
  You learn many things, as I mentioned earlier, through marriage. I 
remember one remark my mother made, and maybe it is something many of 
us have heard, ``Oh, honey, I am so happy you are going to get married, 
because after all, two can live as cheaply as

[[Page H616]]

one.'' I appreciated my mom's advice, but, Mr. Speaker, I should point 
out that mom is not a certified public accountant, and the fact is 
today, Mr. Speaker, as we know, for many people, two cannot live as 
cheaply as one, especially when it comes to tax policy in this country.
  As the first Arizonan to serve on the Committee on Ways and Means, 
not only our personal experience with the institution of marriage but 
hearing from many of our constituents, we know what a challenge it is. 
Many people write us to say that marriage actually has proven to be a 
financial disadvantage, that tax policies have proven to serve as a 
disincentive to the institution of marriage.
  Indeed, sadly, we have a tax code, Mr. Speaker, which has grown so 
expansive, so often working at cross purposes that, perhaps 
unintentionally we as a Nation have proscribed penalties against those 
very things that we should value as a society.
  And that is why, Mr. Speaker, on this special day in the Hayworth 
household I am pleased to rise not only to that point of purely 
personal privilege, but also to make this policy statement, that to 
really cherish families, that to really cherish the institution of 
marriage, we as a Congress, for our constituents, for our families, for 
the institution of marriage, should eliminate the marriage penalty that 
exists, should eliminate those things in the tax code which actually 
serve as a disincentive to the institution of marriage.
  There are many tasks which confront us in this Congress, but we 
should remember that, in representing all families, we need to move to 
maximize the fact that those families across this country should hang 
on to more of their money, to save, spend, and invest as they see fit, 
not to have those funds confiscated by a government in Washington 
trying to redistribute wealth, because the families know best.

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