[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 28, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ECONOMIC STIMULUS

  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, there are 11 million 
unemployed Americans receiving a notice that says they owe taxes on 
their unemployment benefits and they'll have a huge bill due on April 
15. After this scary realization, these folks will get on their phones 
or their computers to ask us where we think they are going to get the 
money to pay the additional tax.
  As this Congress works to find ways to kick-start the economy, I 
propose we not kick these folks when they're down and we eliminate the 
tax on unemployment insurance benefits for 2008 and 2009.
  This economic stimulus ought to do this. The 1099 statements that are 
showing up in mailboxes to notify my constituents that they owe Federal 
taxes on their unemployment is just ridiculous. I'd want to be able to 
tell my constituents we're going to do something about this problem.
  Let's go back to the drawing board and come together to really help 
the unemployed.
  At this time I'd also want to say thank you and God bless to Kathleen 
Black, who is going from my staff to the Senate, one of the best tax 
persons in the Congress.

                          ____________________