[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1396]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   ELIMINATE THE 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, I want to ask an important fundamental issue 
of fairness that particularly affects the middle class, and that is the 
question, is it right, is it fair that, under our Tax Code, a married 
working couple, a couple with two incomes, pay higher taxes just 
because they are married? Is it right that 28 million married working 
couples pay on average $1,400 more in higher taxes just because they 
are married, $1,400 more than an identical couple that chooses to live 
together outside of marriage? That is wrong.
  I was proud when this House and Senate last year sent H.R. 6, the 
Marriage Tax Elimination Act, to the White House to be signed into law. 
Unfortunately, President Clinton at that time vetoed our effort to 
eliminate the marriage tax penalty.
  But we have an opportunity. President Bush has indicated during his 
campaign he would sign into law the Marriage Tax Elimination Act, a 
bipartisan effort to wipe out the marriage tax penalty.
  Let us pursue this opportunity. As we work to provide broad-based, 
real fundamental tax relief for working families, let us remember 
middle class working couples, and let us eliminate the marriage tax 
penalty.

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