[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 132 (Monday, September 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H9085-H9086]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                TAX CUTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, we have two weeks left on this legislative 
calendar this year. I just wanted to report that I am glad to see that 
we are focusing on doing the people's business.
  This last Friday and Saturday the taxpayers of Illinois, the south 
suburbs, south side of Chicago that I have the privilege of 
representing, celebrated a great victory when this House adopted the 
90-10 plan, a plan that is a twofer, a big win for the folks who pay 
the bills back home in Illinois.
  I am proud that we set aside $1.4 trillion in extra tax revenue, 
money that

[[Page H9086]]

is part of the surplus that resulted from the first balanced budget in 
28 years, that we are setting aside $1.4 trillion to save Social 
Security.
  I am also proud that in the 90-10 plan that we eliminate the marriage 
tax penalty for the majority of those who suffer it. In fact, 28 
million married working couples will benefit. When you think about it, 
$1.4 trillion is twice what the President asked for last January when 
we all stood up and applauded the President in his great speech talking 
about saving Social Security first. There was $600 billion available in 
surplus tax revenue at that time. We have given the American people 
more than twice what the President asked for, $1.4 trillion, and we 
also eliminate the marriage tax penalty for the majority of those who 
suffer it.
  I have often asked over the past year, is it right, is it fair that 
28 million married working couples pay higher taxes under our current 
tax code just because they are married? Is it right, is it fair that a 
working couple that is married pays higher taxes than an identical 
couple with identical income that lives together outside of marriage? 
No, that is wrong.
  Last Friday and Saturday, not only did we begin an effort to save 
Social Security, but we eliminated the marriage tax penalty for the 
majority of those who suffer it.
  Just to give an idea of how this will impact the people of the south 
suburbs of Illinois, we will take a couple in Joliet, a machinist and a 
school teacher. They have a combined adjusted gross income of $50,000. 
They are middle class. Under our current tax code, after you subtract 
personal exemptions, use the current standard deduction for those who 
file jointly of $6,900, of course they pay about $5,700 in taxes.
  But under the 90-10 plan we double the standard deduction for married 
working couples to twice what a single person obtains by raising it to 
$8,500. This machinist and this school teacher in Joliet, Illinois will 
see an extra $240 in higher take-home pay. We eliminate the marriage 
penalty for the majority of those who suffer it. And not only is this a 
big victory for married working couples, but I also want to point out, 
as a result of doubling the standard deduction, that we simplify the 
tax code for 6 million married working couples, 6 million married 
working couples who will no longer have to itemize. They will no longer 
need to use the schedule A. They will only need to use the 1040-EZ.
  That is a big victory, when you can help bring fairness to the tax 
code as well as simplify the tax code. And those who voted against it, 
of course it is a political season, will say just about anything. We 
are just a few short weeks from election. They were somehow claiming 
that our efforts to eliminate the marriage tax penalty and to help 28 
million married working couples, that somehow hurts the Social Security 
Trust Fund. Wait a second. We just set aside $1.4 trillion for Social 
Security in surplus tax revenue.

  So we asked in the Committee on Ways and Means, which I am proud to 
be a member of, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) asked the 
representative, the Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security 
Administration, Judith Chesser, the chairman said, ``As a result of the 
tax bill,'' which I pointed out eliminates the marriage tax penalty for 
the majority of those who suffer it, ``being considered by the 
Committee on Ways and Means, will there be any impact on the monies in 
the Social Security Trust Fund?''
  Judith Chesser, Deputy Commissioner, Social Security Administration, 
had a very simple answer, something unusual for somebody who represents 
a bureaucracy. Usually they talk a lot. Her answer was simple: No, the 
tax cut has absolutely no impact on the Social Security trust fund.
  So we had a big victory, working on our effort to save Social 
Security and, of course, to eliminate the marriage tax penalty for the 
majority of those who suffer it.
  If we look back over the last several years, I am one of those who 
came to Washington to change how Washington works. That is why I am so 
proud that we balanced the budget, first time in 28 years, and cut 
taxes for the middle class for the first time in 16 years.
  In 1996 this House made a commitment, and it became law, to help 
loving families who would like to provide a home for a child in need of 
adoption, an adoption tax credit. That is now law, a key part of the 
Contract with America.
  In 1997 another key part of the Contract with America became law as 
well. That is a $500 per child tax credit which will benefit 3 million 
Illinois children, $1.5 billion in higher take-home pay that will stay 
home in Illinois rather than going to Washington.
  We had a big victory this past weekend. We have a great opportunity 
as we focus on doing the people's business. Let us save Social 
Security. Let us eliminate the marriage tax penalty. I hope that the 
Senate will give the same level of bipartisan support on saving Social 
Security, eliminating the marriage tax penalty that we gave it in the 
House.

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