[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 27, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3083-H3084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DEMOCRAT TAX INCREASES IN OUR FUTURE

  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, this week the House is going 
to be taking up the budget and there is nothing more basic in the 
fundamental process of being a legislator than the budget. What is 
written in the budget says a lot. In fact, the budget is really a 
defining difference when you put forward your budget.
  The Democratic leadership is planning to bring their partisan 
Democratic budget to the floor. Again when you get down to basics, the 
differences are pretty clear because what is in the Democrat 
leadership's budget that they are bringing to the floor today is the 
biggest tax increase in the history of our Nation. Think about that. 
Can we really afford to tax the middle class more.
  In their first order of business in the 110th Congress, the Democrats 
made it easier to raise taxes. When Republicans were in the majority, 
we said you couldn't raise taxes unless you had a two-thirds vote. The 
Democrats eliminated that because they wanted to make it easier to 
raise taxes. They have eliminated that rule.
  They have shown their agenda before. Back when the Democrats were in 
the majority back when President Clinton called for a big tax increase, 
the Democrats followed and they rubber-stamped a tax increase at that 
time, which was the biggest tax increase in the history of our Nation, 
a $240 billion tax increase on the American people.
  Just this past week, the Democrats outdid themselves. In fact, they 
brought an even bigger tax increase to the floor that we are going to 
debate this week. It was $240 billion 13 years ago, today it is a $400 
billion tax increase. They plan to raise the tax on every taxpayer; 
man, woman, child, married, if you die, you are going to pay more in 
taxes under the Democrat budget.
  In fact, if you are a typical couple in the district I represent 
making $60,000 a year, mom, dad and two kids, you will pay on average 
$2,000 more in higher taxes. That is a 60 percent increase in higher 
taxes called for in the Democrat budget.
  In 2001 and 2003, Republicans worked with the President. We worked to 
eliminate unfairness in the Tax Code. We worked to lower taxes for the 
middle class. We succeeded in 2001 and 2003 in reducing taxes for a 
typical American family. And again, for a family making about $60,000 a 
year, those tax cuts meant about $2,000 more in higher take-home pay. 
That is money they can spend on their own needs.
  In my home State of Illinois, 4.2 million taxpayers benefited from 
the creation of a new, lower tax bracket. We lowered taxes for 
everyone, but for lower income Americans, we created a 10 percent tax 
bracket. Today, 5 million Americans no longer pay Federal taxes because 
of that new tax bracket; and 1.4 million taxpayers benefited from our 
efforts to eliminate the marriage tax penalty. We increased the child 
tax credit benefiting 1.3 million Illinoisans.
  We also passed into law my legislation which eliminated the marriage 
tax penalty. I stood on this floor day after day after day and I asked 
a pretty fundamental question: Is it right, is it fair that our Tax 
Code punishes the most basic institution in our society, which is 
marriage. And in 2001 we passed the Marriage Tax Elimination Act. That 
was our third try. Twice we passed the Marriage Tax Elimination Act, 
eliminating the marriage tax penalty, a tax on marriage and President 
Clinton vetoed that twice. President Bush signed it into law.
  But today, millions of couples, in fact 24 million married working 
couples no longer pay the marriage tax penalty thanks to that 
legislation being signed into law. Unfortunately, the Democrats want to 
bring the marriage tax penalty back. In fact, you will hear some this 
week say ``they are probably rich'' because if they pay the marriage 
tax penalty, they must be rich.
  Well, under their legislation this week, 23 million typical married 
couples in America will see their taxes go up just from the marriage 
tax penalty alone of almost $500 more in higher taxes just because they 
are married. Is that right? Is that fair?
  We worked to benefit all taxpayers by lowering taxes in 2001 and 
2003. Now

[[Page H3084]]

the Democrats, they want to come back and they want to raise taxes on 
all taxpayers, including reinstating the marriage tax penalty.

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