[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3621-3622]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                             TAX CUT RELIEF

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, the issue the Senate is debating is 
bankruptcy. We will also be dealing with education, and we will be 
dealing with the budget.
  Somewhat overlying all these issues is the idea of tax relief, of 
doing something with the tax burden of American citizens, coming to 
some agreement on how that can indeed be done with some of our 
associates to come to the conclusion that, in fact, taxpayers are 
entitled to some relief in their taxes, if indeed those taxes exceed 
the needs of the Federal Government.
  It has been, of course, the highest priority for this administration, 
the highest priority for President Bush, as he has outlined his plan in 
his campaign and has brought it forth as a specific proposal to the 
Congress. The House has acted on a portion of it at this point. I 
happen to believe it is reasonable for the Senate to hold off a bit in 
terms of acting on it until we have seen our budget. That is 
appropriate.
  We need to try as much as we can to get people to understand what is 
out there. There are all kinds of notions being thrown about. What we 
need to do is to try to get it as accurate as we can so people can, 
indeed, make their decisions.
  Some are concerned about the idea that you have to project revenues 
into the future. Of course, there is some uncertainty. We don't know 
exactly what will happen. In anything you do, whether it is an 
organization, whether it is a business, whether, indeed, it is your 
family, as you take into account longer term expenditures, one has to 
reach out and make an estimate as to what they think the revenues are 
going to be. That is not unusual. We have the best people who have made 
prognostications in the past doing that.
  Under the budget, receipts grow from $2.1 trillion in 2001 to $3.2 
trillion in 2011, an increase of 51 percent. Overall, the budget 
projection totals collections of almost $30 trillion over the next 10 
years. Despite the fact that to all of us, I assume, $1.6 trillion is 
an almost unimaginable amount, it is, indeed, a little less than 6 
percent of the total projected revenues. When you put it into the 
context of what we are talking about, it becomes a reasonable proposal.
  I imagine probably more important than anything is that we have to 
take a look at the fact that we do have a surplus. Frankly, when we do 
have a surplus, we find, if we ask people, how much more involvement of 
the Federal Government, how much growth of the Federal Government do 
you want over here, they would say: We have about enough growth. We 
have about enough Government. But then over here you have a surplus so 
every expenditure that anyone has ever had in mind suddenly becomes a 
possibility, and we find ourselves then with growth beyond what most 
people would want to have.
  The American people are paying a record level of taxation, over 20.5 
percent of the gross domestic product.

[[Page 3622]]

That is the highest it has been since World War II. The individual 
burden has doubled since the Clinton tax increases of 1993. All this 
points toward doing something meaningful in terms of tax reduction. The 
cut would be $1.6 trillion; that would be left in the pockets of 
taxpayers.
  We hear all kinds of notions that it is actually going to be $2.2 
trillion or whatever. That is not the case. It is aimed towards being 
$1.6 trillion, and that is where it would be.
  There is tax relief for all taxpayers. We can get into, obviously, a 
discussion of the fact that there are people who don't pay income taxes 
who will not have relief from income tax reduction. That is fairly 
reasonable.
  Everyone who pays taxes will get some relief. A typical family of 
four will see their tax liabilities reduced by $1,600, which is a 
sizable amount.
  The other part of the equation is that there are moneys to strengthen 
education. There are moneys to help with defense and security. Those 
are a couple of the top priorities we have. We will do more with 
Medicare. Those dollars will be there for Medicare. Those dollars will 
be there for Social Security.
  I hope people understand the whole package. It sometimes is made to 
sound as though, if we give those taxpayers a break, we will not be 
able to do the things we should. Not true. There will be dollars to do 
the things the Federal Government has as priorities. There will be 
dollars to reduce the debt, and, in fact, all of the reducible debt 
will be done by 2010. That will not be all of it because much of it is 
long term and, frankly, people who hold the certificates are not ready 
to do that.
  It is something on which we need to continue to work. I think it is a 
good thing for the country. It is a good thing for the taxpayers. 
Certainly, it is something I support, and I hope others support. I see 
my friend from Missouri.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The Senator from Missouri is recognized.
  Mr. BOND. I thank the Chair.
  (The remarks of Mr. Bond pertaining to the introduction of S. 528 are 
located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and 
Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. BOND. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Voinovich). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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