[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 74 (Wednesday, June 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DEATH TAX ELIMINATION ACT OF 2000

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                               speech of

                       HON. HELEN CHENOWETH-HAGE

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 9, 2000

  Mrs. CHENOWETH-HAGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the 
fundamental unfairness of the Death Tax. This is a tax that preys upon 
small business owners, farmers, women, minorities, and families in 
mourning. There is no question. Our current system of death taxation is 
simply inexcusable. No family or child should be forced to pay for the 
death of a loved one. Yet, this is precisely what happens.
  One of the founding principles that our forefathers invoked when 
founding our nation was that of ``No taxation without representation.'' 
In a perverse way, the Death Tax is quite possibly the clearest 
violation of this principle that has ever been passed into law. For, if 
you are dead, who can possibly represent you?
  This is a tax that attacks the very foundation of small business. 
There are some in this body from the other party who often claim that 
this tax only affects the rich. Well, that is simply untrue. I wonder 
how many Democrats actually believe that small family farms are rich? 
How many cattlemen are rich? How many restaurant owners are rich? These 
are the people who this ghoulish tax affects.
  These are our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, and parents. These 
people are our neighbors. These people are ordinary American citizens. 
The truth is, those who actually have the money can actually afford to 
find ways to circumvent this tax. Those small businessmen who live on 
the financial margins cannot.
  Furthermore, the Death Tax acts as a disincentive to saving. Who 
would want to save for their children their whole life only to have up 
to forty percent of their savings confiscated at death? Under the 
current policy, vacations and fungible assets actually provide a higher 
return than saving your money for your children. This is outrageous.
  Some on the other side of the aisle cry, ``The sky is falling!'' when 
the elimination of this onerous tax is mentioned. Who are they kidding? 
The sky is nowhere close to falling. Since 1940, inflation adjusted tax 
revenues of the United States government have risen by 2000%!
  The fact remains, eliminating the Death Tax will actually help 
families, small businessmen, and the economy. For instance, according 
to a WEFA Group U.S. Macroeconomic Model and the Washington University 
Macro Model, the U.S. economy would have increased its output by 
another eleven billion dollars a year had we eliminated the Death Tax 
in 1996. Furthermore, America could well have seen increases of an 
average of eight billion dollars in personal income levels if we had 
done this.
  Mr. Speaker, it's time to end the Death Tax. Let's give it a wake and 
bury it this year. The fetid stink of this tax is simply too much to 
put up with any longer.

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