[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 4, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H4959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MISREPRESENTED JOBS AND GROWTH PACKAGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to discuss some of the 
recent misrepresentations of the Jobs and Growth Package, a package 
that this Congress passed before the Memorial Day recess.
  Last night I had the opportunity to listen to many of our friends on 
the other side characterize the tax cuts as misdirected and targeted to 
the wrong people.
  According to the Joint Economic Committee, this tax bill provides the 
largest percentage reductions in the income taxes of low and middle 
income Americans, thereby shifting the tax burden upward. The Jobs and 
Growth Tax Act exempts another 3 million workers entirely from Federal 
tax liability. And low income families in particular benefit from this 
economic and growth tax package relief through a number of provisions.
  First, there is the acceleration of the expansion of the 10 percent 
rate bracket which means that workers can earn more before they get 
moved into the 15 and 25 percent tax brackets, elimination of the 
marriage penalty, and the acceleration of the President's 2001 tax cut 
provisions to increase the child tax credit to $1,000.
  Accelerating the expansion of the child tax credit will provide 26 
million families with an average tax cut of over $600. This could mean 
a great deal to a family of 4 working to make ends meet each year. Even 
families who do not owe taxes may benefit from the increase in the 
child credit to $1,000 because of the current refundable feature of the 
credits.
  So some ask, Who benefits from this credit? Well, what about 44 
million children who will benefit?
  So, Mr. Speaker, do not be fooled when certain groups do not explain 
the whole story. Some low income Americans are not included in this 
credit because their family income is low, but they qualify for other, 
more beneficial anti-poverty programs. And let us not forget that that 
group of low income taxpayers received significant benefit from the tax 
cuts that passed in this Congress in 2001, and they continue to benefit 
from that legislation today.
  The fact is, Mr. Speaker, we cannot continue to punish those who work 
hard, take risks and are subsequently successful. We need their success 
for the economy to recover. The country needs the jobs their success 
will generate.
  I remember a few weeks ago when the folks on the other side of the 
aisle opposed a tax cut of any kind during the debate on the economic 
stimulus bill. Well, Mr. Speaker, the time has come for them to figure 
out where they stand.

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