[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1453]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 ENSURING TAX CUTS STRENGTHENS AMERICA

  (Mr. SMITH of Michigan asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, we are now considering the 
question of tax relief: What kind of tax relief should we have? How far 
should we go to stimulate the economy?
  It strikes me, Mr. Speaker, that we have heard a lot of bragging out 
of the White House for the last 7 years that the 1993 tax increase was 
part of the reason that we have had such a good economy. But now I see 
nobody, nobody on that side of the aisle or anyplace else, suggesting 
that we should have a tax increase now to stimulate the economy. It is 
ridiculous.
  The question is, how do we have some kind of tax cuts that are going 
to help keep this economy strong? One of the greatest contributors to 
the surplus or overtaxation is the Social Security tax. That is where 
most of the surplus has come from. The challenge is--how do we use that 
money, how do we save that money--because we are going to need it 
starting in 2010 when the baby boomers retire. The challenge is great.
  I urge the American people and this body to become familiar with the 
debate on how do we give the kind of tax cuts that are best going to 
lead to a strong economy and a strong America.

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