[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 191 (Thursday, December 13, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AMT RELIEF ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. TODD TIAHRT

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 12, 2007

  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of extending 
Alternative Minimum Tax relief to millions of American taxpayers. 
Congress never intended for the AMT to hit so many people. The Senate 
has already passed a clean bill to provide a one-year AMT patch for the 
2007 tax year. I urge my colleagues in the House to do the same and 
pass AMT relief for the nearly 20 million new taxpayers who will 
otherwise be subjected to this tax increase if Congress fails to act.
  While I rise in strong support of extending AMT relief, I rise in 
opposition to the AMT bill being considered on the House floor today. 
H.R. 4351 would not just provide a one-year AMT patch; it would also 
permanently raise billions of dollars in new taxes on other citizens. 
Rather than provide a stand-alone patch or offset the costs by reducing 
federal spending, the Democrat leadership solution is to pay for the 
AMT fix by raising taxes on other taxpayers.
  Instead of debating a bill that will never be signed into law, we 
should be working together in a bipartisan way to take actions similar 
to what the Senate has done. Because of the ineffectiveness of Democrat 
leadership decisions, millions of American taxpayers will either be 
forced to pay an average of $2,000 more or have their tax refunds 
delayed next year. A delay in tax refunds could have been avoided by 
earlier congressional action, and we must act swiftly to ensure the tax 
increase does not become a reality for millions of American families.
  The AMT tax was created nearly 40 years ago to ensure a small number 
of very wealthy taxpayers would pay a fair portion of taxes. Because 
the AMT was not indexed for inflation, millions of Americans are now 
being threatened by the higher AMT tax, which effectively takes back 
tax cuts enacted in 2001, 2003 and 2004 for those taxpayers.
  The Federal Government should be finding ways to lower the burden on 
American taxpayers. Instead, H.R. 4351 would permanently raise taxes. 
This proposal to address the government's shortsightedness to index the 
AMT for inflation should be soundly rejected in favor of a permanent 
AMT fix or a patch that does not raise taxes on others.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against H.R. 4351 so we can 
begin consideration of a real solution that we can send to the 
President for his signature. Providing a one-year AMT fix is the least 
we can do as an alternative to a permanent solution. The time for 
partisan tax-shifting games has concluded. Let's put the American 
people first and defeat this massive tax increase bill.

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