[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 21, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H2204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               TAX RELIEF

  (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, last week millions of Americans got a 
surprise when they filed their tax returns. This year a record 44 
million tax returns, one-third of all returns filed, have no income tax 
liability because of the available credits and deductions in the Tax 
Code. This is a 50 percent increase in the number of zero-tax filers in 
just 4 years. The vast majority of these 44 million filers are from 
low-income households who saw their tax liability disappear thanks to 
the tax cuts pushed by President Bush and this House.
  The expansion of the 10 percent bracket, the increased child tax 
credit, and the marriage penalty relief are the leading reasons that so 
many people were able to have zero liability. All these tax provisions 
are in jeopardy if Congress does not act to extend them by the end of 
this year.
  These are not tax cuts for the rich. They are tax provisions designed 
to help working men and women bring home more of their paychecks. In 
fact, 75 percent of the 44 million will earn less than $20,000 per 
year, and 97 percent will earn less than $40,000 per year.
  Congress needs to extend these provisions and continue giving tax 
relief to working America.

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