[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 17, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2096-S2097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      MARRIAGE PENALTY TAX RELIEF

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to say that we have 
taken, or are in the process of taking, one major step toward more tax 
relief for the hard-working American family. The budget resolution, 
which is being marked up as we speak right now, will allow for $30 
billion in tax relief for the hard-working Americans.
  This $30 billion is not nearly enough. I hope that we will be able to 
expand the $30 billion. But, at least it recognizes that we need to 
keep on the same course that we started last year, and that is giving 
back to the American people more of the money they earn so they can 
decide how they want to spend it, rather than sending it to Washington 
and letting somebody here decide what is best for their families. That 
is what we are trying to do in this Congress. We are trying to give 
more of the money that people earn back to them. And $30 billion will 
not do it, but at least that is a beginning. It is a beginning for new 
tax cuts that we would propose over the next 5 years.
  I am very pleased to say that both Congressman Archer, the chairman 
of the Ways and Means Committee, and Senator Roth, the chairman of the 
Senate Finance Committee, both of whom will be responsible for setting 
the priorities in tax cuts, have said their first priority is the 
marriage penalty tax. I am very pleased that Senator Faircloth and I 
are working on a bill that will provide that relief. There is a 
Faircloth-Hutchison bill that allows people to put their money together 
and split it in half. There is a Hutchison-Faircloth bill that will 
allow people to file as single or married, whichever is best for them. 
We want the hard-working young couple that gets married not to have to 
pay a penalty.
  Let me just give you an example that is a true one. A rookie 
policeman in the city of Houston, TX, makes around $30,000 a year. He 
marries a Pasadena School District schoolteacher who makes about 
$28,000 a year. When they get married, they will owe almost $1,000 in 
additional taxes. Mr. President, we think that is wrong. We do not 
think that Americans should have to choose between love and money. We 
do not think that young couples who are getting married, who want to 
have their first home, who want to buy that new car, should have to 
give more money to Uncle Sam because they decided to get married and 
start their family. That is not the American dream. So we are going to 
try to do something about it.
  I want to commend Senator Faircloth from North Carolina, because he 
took the early lead on this. He and I have been working together to 
eliminate the marriage penalty tax once and for all. I am very pleased 
that Senator Roth and Bill Archer, from Texas, who understands this 
issue--have said this is a first priority. If we can give this relief 
to that young couple that gets married, they will be able to perhaps 
put that money aside for a downpayment on their first home, or perhaps 
a downpayment on a new car. Rather than sending that money to 
Washington for the government to decide how they should spend it, we 
need to let couples keep that money they earn, which in many cases 
could equal a couple of car payments.
  So, $30 billion is not quite enough. The Joint Tax Committee says 
that it would be roughly $110 billion over 5 years that would be taken 
out of the Government coffers to repeal the marriage penalty. We are 
going to have to keep working to look for either a budget surplus or 
more money that could be set aside, or we may have to phase that in. 
But the bottom line is this is one step toward the right thing to do. 
It is one step more in the direction of giving more tax relief to that 
young couple that decides to get married, who are in entry-level 
positions, just starting their lives together, and we are going to make 
that happen. If we have to do it by phasing it in, we will do it; if we 
have to do it by finding more money, we will do it, because we believe 
it is the right thing to do.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor to the Senator from North 
Carolina, who is a cosponsor with me of both of the bills that would 
give tax relief to that young couple who should not have to choose 
between love and money.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. FAIRCLOTH. Mr. President, thank you. I thank Senator Hutchison.
  Mr. President, I want to join the Senator from Texas in thanking the 
chairman of the Budget Committee, Senator Domenici, for including a 
repeal of the marriage penalty tax in the budget resolution which was 
unveiled today.
  Mr. President, Senator Hutchison, Senator Connie Mack, and I have 
sponsored legislation to remove this unfair tax. It penalizes couples 
simply because they get married. Because of the hard work of Chairman 
Domenici and the Budget Committee, we are making progress in getting 
rid of this tax. The majority leader, Senator Lott, has also been 
tremendously supportive. Senator Hutchison, Senator Lott, and I 
recently pledged on Valentine's Day that we would work to have this tax 
burden removed by Valentine's Day next year. I think it is a reasonable 
goal and a step closer with today's budget resolution. What better use 
of money could we have, what better use than to give tax relief to a 
young couple getting married? The Congressional Budget Office has 
determined that 21 million married couples pay an average

[[Page S2097]]

of $1,400 in extra income tax each year because they chose to get 
married. The Tax Code in its simplest form should encourage people to 
get married and not leave them with a heavy tax bill because they did 
get married. I look forward to working with Senator Hutchison, from 
Texas, on eliminating this tax.

  Mr. President, the Republican Congress needs to return to its core 
values. We need to reduce taxes and get on with the job of helping 
American families and especially young American families that are just 
starting out. The American families are working and saving to send 
their children to college. They are trying to save for their own 
retirement and, in many cases, to look after elderly parents. In spite 
of all this, today we have a higher tax burden on them than ever 
before. We are still taking 38 percent of a family's income. People 
have to work until May 7 of each year before they begin working for 
themselves. We need to reduce taxes. The Budget Committee has taken a 
step in the right direction by proposing $30 billion in tax cuts. As I 
repeat, what better way to spend the money? We need the marriage 
penalty relief and we need it before next year.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kempthorne). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. I would like to take as much time as I may require 
in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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