[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 195 (Wednesday, December 19, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H16838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PASS A CLEAN AMT FIX

  (Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, how much longer do American taxpayers have 
to wait for Congress to pass a sensible and fair fix to the alternative 
minimum tax? This highly punitive tax, originally intended to catch 
only the worst of tax scofflaws, will hit 23 million middle-class 
taxpayers next year if Congress doesn't act now. Unfortunately, the 
majority's delay tactics have already caused a cascade effect that will 
delay the tax refunds of 50 million Americans. If Congress keeps 
stalling, things will go from bad to worse.
  The Senate already rejected a poorly conceived plan that temporarily 
patches the AMT, but on the condition of enacting a permanent tax hike. 
Only in Washington does it make sense to make a temporary 1-year tax 
patch and counter it with a permanent tax hike.
  Let's stop the charade and pass an AMT fix that protects millions of 
middle-class Americans from a huge tax increase. If Congress delays any 
longer, those 23 million taxpayers will be saddled with an unexpected 
and severe $2,000 tax increase.
  The Senate sent us a clean AMT bill nearly 2 weeks ago. Before we go 
home, we need to do the right thing and pass it. American taxpayers 
deserve no less.

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