[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H9828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    WHY DID PRESIDENT CLINTON AND AL GORE VETO EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE 
                         MARRIAGE TAX PENALTY?

  (Mr. WELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, there is an important question that we 
should be asking every day; and that is, is it right, is it fair that 
under our Tax Code a married, working couple, a husband and wife, with 
two incomes pays higher taxes just because they are married? Is it 
right, is it fair that under our Tax Code 21 million married, working 
couples pay on average $1,400 more just because they are married?
  Back home in the south suburbs of Chicago, a machinist and a school 
teacher making a combined income of $62,000 pay on average $1,400.
  That is 1 year's tuition at Joliet Junior College. That is 3 months' 
daycare at a local day-care center.
  The question of the day, my colleagues, is why did President Clinton 
and Al Gore veto our efforts to eliminate the marriage tax penalty? Is 
it because the President and Al Gore want to spend that money rather 
than eliminating the marriage tax penalty?
  When Bill Clinton and Al Gore vetoed our efforts to eliminate the 
marriage tax penalty, they broke the hearts of 21 million hard-working, 
married, working couples who should have their marriage tax penalty 
eliminated.
  Mr. Speaker, let us work together, let us work in a bipartisan way to 
eliminate the marriage tax penalty.

                          ____________________