[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 78 (Thursday, June 7, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H2961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR MAIN STREET AMERICA

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, as I speak, down at the White House they 
are signing the $2 trillion tax bill and champagne corks are popping on 
Wall Street. What about Main Street? Well, Main Street is getting the 
bill. Main Street is seeing higher gasoline prices, higher electric 
bills and natural gas prices. The President said, well, they could use 
their refund to help pay those costs. They give you some money and you 
send it to an energy company in Texas.
  Unfortunately nearly 30 percent of American families will not be 
getting any of that rebate. Most American families, more than half, pay 
more in Social Security taxes than they do income taxes. Many of those 
families will not get a penny of this so-called rebate. Some will get a 
check for a dollar. It costs the Federal Government 15 bucks to write 
the check and they will get a buck back. Hey, it buys almost a half a 
gallon of gas. Good deal.
  For the most wealthy families in America, this is a day to celebrate 
the repeal of the estate tax and other things that will benefit them 
tremendously, but for average Americans, Main Street Americans, it is 
business as usual in Washington, D.C. They will get the bill, not the 
check.

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