[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 125 (Thursday, September 23, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H8562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THE PRESIDENT SHOULD RECONSIDER HIS VETO OF THE TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT

  (Mr. SCHAFFER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, the President's penchant for raising taxes 
on America's working-class families, to fund costly, unproven and 
inefficient government programs for special interest groups, his 
expected veto today of the Taxpayer Relief Act is neither surprising 
nor unexpected. However, one would think this President would care to 
leave a better legacy than having created the most costly and 
overbearing bureaucracy in the history of our Nation.
  If and when the President uses his veto pen later today, he will 
effectively eliminate the best opportunity we have ever had to protect 
Social Security and Medicare, while paying down the massive debt our 
country has accrued after 40 years of liberal spending.
  There is more, Mr. Speaker. In addition to offering broad relief for 
middle-class taxpayers, including the repeal of the death tax, an 
across-the-board reduction in income and capital gains tax rates, 
marriage tax penalty relief and education, health care and dependent 
care assistance, the Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act contains provisions 
specifically designed to assist America's farmers and ranchers 
currently enduring the worst farm economy since the Great Depression.
  The President's harmful treatment of agriculture is nothing new 
either. His affinity for campaign-style rhetoric, broken promises and 
outright hostility toward agriculture has resulted in record numbers of 
farmers and ranchers facing defaults, foreclosures, and farm auctions.

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