[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 3, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H4850-H4851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE UNKINDEST CUT OF ALL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, on April 26, President Bush stated in his 
weekly radio address, ``My jobs and growth plan would reduce the tax 
rates of everyone who pays income tax,'' ``everyone who pays income 
tax.''
  On May 29, after the GOP tax bill, which included the provision of 
the President's plan, in full or in part, had been passed by Congress, 
now, one ought to understand that it was delivered at 8:45 p.m., a very 
large tax bill,

[[Page H4851]]

all sorts of provisions that had never been seen in full by any Member 
of this House reported out at 8:45. We were called back at 
approximately 10:30. It was passed at 1:55 a.m. in the morning, in the 
dark of night because in my opinion the majority wanted to hide this 
bill. They wanted to take credit for the tax cut, but they wanted to 
hide the specifics of the bill.
  It was signed by the President. The White House Press Secretary, Ari 
Fleischer, stated, ``This certainly does deliver tax relief to people 
who pay income taxes.''
  Now, my friend, the gentleman from Texas, not the gentleman who just 
came on the floor but who previously spoke, a new Member of the House, 
reiterated that mantra, that everyone who paid taxes was going to get a 
reduction.
  Let there be no mistake, these statements are blatantly and 
unabashedly wrong. As the Tax Policy Center has reported, more than 8 
million lower- and middle-income taxpayers who pay billions of dollars 
in taxes a year will receive absolutely no tax reduction under the GOP 
tax bill. That figure, Mr. Speaker, includes 1.8 million taxpayers who 
pay more than $1,000 in income tax. They will receive no relief.
  In the unkindest cut of all, 6.5 million minimum-wage families with 
nearly 12 million children will not receive the $400 per child increase 
in the child tax credit in the GOP bill. Why did that happen? It 
happened because they said that they were going to leave their bill at 
a $350 billion cut. Why? Because they needed to get some Republican 
members of the Senate to vote for it, and they could not get them to 
vote for any number larger than that.
  So who do they look to to cut out? Did they look at Warren Buffett? 
Frankly, did they look at the gentleman from Maryland (Steny Hoyer)? I 
could have afforded it. No, they did not look at us. They did not look 
at the wealthy; they looked at the poorest Americans and cut them out 
of this bill.
  As a matter of fact, most of us probably did not know that, and the 
President has now said he is going to fix it. But frankly, he did not 
offer it in his tax bill. The Republicans did not offer it in their tax 
bill that passed the House. It was a Democratic amendment offered by 
Senator Lincoln, adopted, and was in the conference. We all thought it 
was going to stay in the conference, but it was dropped in the dead of 
night without any Democrats in the room and unbeknownst to most 
Members.
  Mr. Speaker, we could have extended the child tax credit to all 
families, as we sought, simply by limiting the reduction in the highest 
marginal income tax rate to 35.3 percent rather than 35 percent. We 
needed to pay for it, and we could have done it.
  Now, that same gentleman from Texas observed that we needed to reduce 
the taxes because we needed to get the economy moving. We had a plan. 
It was fast-acting, fair to all Americans, and fiscally responsible. It 
did not harm us in the long term.
  That plan was not allowed to be offered. The plan that was offered, 
however, was not fair, was not fast-acting, and is not fiscally 
responsible. In fact, we have gone from $5.6 trillion purported 
surpluses that the President told us we had to a, now, almost $3 
trillion deficit, and we are going to be facing what they say is a $44 
trillion deficit in the future. That will be a substantial tax increase 
for many children in America and many children unborn who will have to 
pay the interest on that incredible debt that we are incurring.
  But lo and behold, in the clearest possible demonstration of the 
majority's values and priorities, the GOP has shown once again that 
when push comes to shove, it will fight for the Bush class over the 
working class every single time. The GOP's mantra really ought to be, 
leave no millionaire behind.
  Mr. Speaker, on April 26th, President Bush stated in his weekly radio 
address: ``My jobs and growth plan would reduce the tax rates of 
everyone who pays income tax.''
  And on May 29th, after the GOP tax bill--which included the 
provisions of the President's plan in full or in part--had been passed 
by Congress and signed by the President, White House Press Secretary 
Ari Fleischer stated: ``This certainly does deliver tax relief to 
people who pay income taxes.''
  Mr. Speaker, let there be no mistake: These statements are brazenly, 
blatantly and unabashedly false. As the Tax Policy Center has reported, 
more than 8 million lower and middle-income taxpayers who pay billions 
of dollars a year in income taxes will receive absolutely no tax 
reduction under this GOP tax bill.
  That figure includes 1.8 million taxpayers who pay more than $1,000 
in income tax. What do they receive? No tax relief whatsoever. Nothing. 
Not a thing.
  And the unkindest cut of all, 6.5 million minimum-wage families, with 
nearly 12 million children, will not receive the $400-per-child 
increase in the child tax credit in the GOP bill.
  Mr. Speaker, let's be clear: We could have extended the child tax 
credit to all families--as Democrats sought--simply by limiting the 
reduction in the highest marginal income tax rate to 35.3 percent 
rather than 35 percent.
  But lo and behold, in the clearest possible demonstration of 
Republican values and priorities, the GOP has shown once again that 
when push comes to shove it will fight for the ``Bush class'' over the 
working class every single time. The GOP's mantra really ought to be--
Leave no millionaire behind!
  While minimum wage workers and their children get left out in the 
cold under the Republicans' tax bill, the Grand Old Party ensured that 
184,000 taxpayers with incomes of more than $1 million would receive an 
average tax cut of $93,500.
  Ladies and gentlemen, in the Republican vision for America, 
apparently that's what passes for compassion. And if you don't agree, 
well the GOP vilify you, charging that you're practicing class warfare.
  Mr. Speaker, let's be honest.
  Class warfare is precisely what the Republican Party has been 
practicing on working men and women in this country on issue after 
issue after issue.
  The failure to provide the Child Tax Credit to minimum wage workers 
while fattening the bank accounts of millionaires is only the tip of 
the iceberg.
  In this report session of the 108th Congress, the Republican majority 
passed a budget resolution that betrays our values and fails to meet 
our needs. It would take hot lunches out of the mouths of poor 
children; force the elderly out of nursing homes as the result of 
Medicaid cuts; and slash veterans' health care.
  This Republican majority had to be dragged kicking and screaming not 
once but twice to extend unemployment insurance benefits--even as we 
face the highest unemployment rate in nine years and the loss of nearly 
3 million private-sector jobs since George W. Bush took office.
  This majority passed a Welfare Reform bill that would force mothers 
with children under the age of 6 to double the number of hours they 
must work every week. It passed a medical malpractice bill that would 
compound the pain of patients with the worst injuries while failing to 
reduce physicians' insurance premiums.
  And it loaded up legislation such as the Defense Authorization bill--
legislation that traditionally is overwhelmingly bipartisan--with 
extraneous, partisan measures that would harm the environment and strip 
Federal workers of their rights.
  And of course, this majority has refused to close tax loopholes for 
offshore corporate tax havens.
  It has refused to consider Democratic legislation to raise the 
minimum wage, which has not been increased since 1997.
  And it even has refused to give the Members of this House the 
opportunity to vote on a Democratic amendment to increase funding for 
Homeland Security by $2.5 billion--a pittance compared to the costs of 
the GOP's unaffordable and unfair tax bill.
  Meanwhile, this Republican majority refuses to address the most 
pressing unmet needs in America today:
  The 41 million Americans who have no health insurance;
  The millions of children who are eligible for Head Start but have no 
seat at the table; and
  The millions of seniors who need and deserve a prescription drug 
benefit under Medicare.
  On issue after issue after issue, this Republican majority has sided 
with powerful special interests over the interests of working 
Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, that is certainly not the Democratic Party's vision for 
America. And we will never stop fighting for a positive agenda that 
meets the needs of all our citizens.

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