[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H5473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          REPEAL THE DEATH TAX

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I cannot think of a more 
unfair and immoral tax than the death tax.

                              {time}  1015

  It is fundamentally wrong to tax a person their entire life and then, 
upon death, have the IRS take up to 60 percent of what they have saved. 
This is a cruel tax that punishes people for working hard and saving 
enough to pass something on to their children.
  This tax has hit the Palmetto State very hard, as in South Carolina, 
1,518 death tax returns were filed in 2001. As a former probate 
attorney, I have seen firsthand where those who inherit family 
businesses or farms are forced to lay off workers, cut salaries, 
liquidate assets, or even take out loans to keep the doors open.
  Thanks to President Bush's leadership, we have passed legislation 
that would end the death tax, but only temporarily. I urge my 
colleagues to support the bill of the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. 
Dunn), H.R. 8, the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2003. We must 
make this repeal permanent and end this unfair tax.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops.

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