[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 10, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H5091]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          THE CHILD TAX CREDIT

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to again discuss an issue of great 
concern to American families. I am talking about extending the child 
tax credit to families that need it most.
  A few weeks ago, this body passed a $350 billion tax cut bill that 
gave every millionaire in this country a $93,000 tax break. It made 
sure every corporation still had the right to avoid paying taxes by 
relocating overseas and taking American jobs with it. But the bill 
shorted 6.5 million low-income families who pay taxes and who are most 
in need. These families earn between $10,500 and $26,625 annually. Out 
of a $350 billion bill, the President and Republicans in charge of this 
body could not find $3.5 billion, 1 percent, for the poorest American 
families.
  I tried to address this problem back on March 12 in the Committee on 
the Budget, but my amendment to extend this tax credit to those 
families was turned aside on a party-line vote. And then when it seemed 
that the Democrats had successfully included that provision in the 
larger tax package during the conference, the Republicans secretly 
eliminated it in the dead of night. Last week Democrats, united and 
resolute, said that that was not enough, that these 6.5 million 
families deserve this tax cut because they worked every bit as hard as 
the 25 million other families that will be receiving their tax refund 
in the mail next month. They pay almost 8 percent of their income in 
payroll taxes or sales taxes.
  And last week the Senate restored the child tax credit to these hard-
working families; and just yesterday the President's spokesperson 
called on the House to take up that legislation, but our colleagues on 
other side of the aisle just do not get it. They do not see the urgency 
in helping the 12 million children left behind by their tax bill. The 
majority whip said yesterday that he did not know if the House would 
act on the other body's bill. As if that were not bad enough, the Chair 
of the Republican Study Committee said in this morning's Congress 
Daily, if the House is going to take up this legislation that the 
Republicans should get something in exchange.
  It is always a deal with these people. It is as if there were no 
families who are trying to put food on their table or clothes on their 
children's backs. All they care about is taking care of their own 
people, like the Enrons who paid no taxes in 4 of the last 5 years. It 
was another colleague on the other side of the aisle who said one must 
pay an income tax in order to earn a tax credit. That is the way it 
works. But she did not care about Enron who paid no taxes the last 4 
out of 5 years. For Republicans it is all about the deal. It is not 
about the fundamental values of fairness or of taking care of people. 
It is about the deal, what do we get in return.
  We have passed three tax bills that benefit the wealthy in this last 
3 years, but we have done nothing to help people that need it the most. 
It is high time the House of Representatives did its job. I commend the 
President for setting aside the quest for a deal and urging the House 
to take up this bill, which the other body passed by an overwhelming 
margin. We must restore what was stolen in the dead of night, and if we 
do not act soon, the families of these 12 million children will not be 
receiving the tax credit in the mail this July 1 like the other 25 
million families. Now is the time for action.

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