[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1038]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          MARRIAGE TAX PENALTY

  (Mr. WELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, let me ask a question of fairness and that 
is a pretty fundamental issue of fairness and that is, is it right, is 
it fair, that under our Tax Code that married working couples pay 
higher taxes just because they are married? Is it right, is it fair, 
that two working people, a husband and wife, both in the workforce, pay 
on average $1,400 more in higher taxes just because they are married, 
$1,400 more than an identical couple that lives together outside of 
marriage?
  I think we all agree that it is wrong that 26 million married working 
couples on average pay $1,400 more just because they are married. It is 
called the marriage tax penalty.
  I was proud that this House and the Senate last year sent to the 
President legislation with bipartisan support wiping out the marriage 
tax penalty for almost everyone who suffers it. Unfortunately, it fell 
victim to the President's veto. Well, we have an opportunity this year 
to eliminate the marriage tax penalty, an opportunity to work together 
in a bipartisan way and send to our new President, President Bush, who 
indicates he will sign into law our efforts to eliminate the marriage 
tax penalty, to get the job done this year.
  I want to extend the invitation to my colleagues to join with us to 
eliminate the marriage tax penalty.

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