[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18607]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        REJECT THE MASSIVELY IRRESPONSIBLE REPUBLICAN TAX BILL

  (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call on this Congress to 
reverse course and pass fiscally responsible legislation to provide 
targeted tax relief for America's families.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of North Carolina sent me to this House to 
work to put our Nation's fiscal house in order, honor our values and 
invest in our future. Last Congress, I proudly voted to balance the 
Federal budget for the first time in a generation and I continue to 
support fiscally responsible tax relief for middle-class families.
  But the tax bill the Republican leadership rammed through this House 
last week is a massively irresponsible gamble with our Nation's future 
and our economic prosperity. The Republican bill would cripple our 
ability to save Social Security and Medicare for our Nation's seniors 
and would prevent us from making needed investments in better education 
for our children.
  Mr. Speaker, the first bill I introduced as a Member of this House 
cut the inheritance tax for small businesses and small families. This 
year I have written and introduced, cosponsored by 90 Members, a bill 
to provide Federal tax credits for local school construction. I 
strongly support paying down the national debt and providing 
responsible tax relief for our families. The Republican bill would hurt 
the middle class and return us to the days of out-of-control deficits 
and skyrocketing inflation.

                          ____________________