[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 131 (Tuesday, September 23, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H8405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REPEALING THE TAX ON THE DEATH GRATUITY

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important 
issue that I bring to the floor. As you can see behind me, these are 
the faces of just a few of the men and women who have died for this 
country, both in Afghanistan and Iraq. I bring this to the floor 
because last year I introduced a bill to repeal the tax on the death 
gratuity.
  The death gratuity, Mr. Speaker, is a ``thank you,'' if you will, not 
enough, but it is a check that is given to the families of those who 
have given loved ones in uniform that have died for this country. I 
want to say to the leadership on both sides that last year you did, and 
I thank both sides, put the language from that bill into a larger bill 
to bring tax relief to our men and women in uniform, but the other body 
did not pass the bill.
  This year, I put the bill back in as H.R. 693, to repeal the tax on 
the death gratuity. It was put into a larger bill known as the Military 
Tax Fairness Act, supported by both sides, sent to the other body, 
known as the Senate, and they still have not moved that bill. So I am 
coming to the floor as much as possible to ask the leadership on the 
House side, both Republican and Democrat, to please bring up as a 
stand-alone bill, H.R. 693.
  Mr. Speaker, I wanted to show you another photograph. This is a young 
fellow whose father was killed in Iraq. His name is Tyler Jordan. His 
father was a Gunnery Sergeant killed while fighting for freedom in 
Iraq. Mr. Speaker, I bring this to the floor because this next year, 
his mother will receive a tax bill from Uncle Sam.
  Mr. Speaker, how much does a family have to give? It gives a loved 
one, who has died for freedom, to protect the American people. Why can 
we not, as a Congress, send to the President, before we leave in 
November, a bill to say that we are going to repeal the tax on the 
death gratuity?
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that the leadership on the House side, both 
Republican and Democrat, will join me in bringing this bill to the 
floor as a stand-alone bill, and let us send it to the other body and 
ask them to please look into their own hearts and pass that legislation 
and send it to the President. No family that has given a loved one, and 
in many cases a child, a father, a husband, should be asked next year 
by Uncle Sam to pay a tax on that gift.
  So, with that, Mr. Speaker, I am going to close, as I do all over my 
district, the Third District of North Carolina, the home of Camp 
Lejeune Marine Base, Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station and Seymour 
Johnson Air Force Base.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask God to please bless the men and women in uniform; 
I ask God to please bless the families of the men and women in uniform; 
I ask God to please hold the families who have lost loved ones in His 
loving arms. I ask God to please bless the House and Senate, that we 
will do what is right in the eyes of the Lord; and I ask God to please 
bless the President of the United States, that will he have courage and 
wisdom to what is right for this Nation, today and tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker, I close three times by asking God, God please, God 
please, God please continue to bless America.

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