[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13807-13808]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TAX RELIEF FOR ALL AMERICANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday those opposed to tax relief 
came to the floor to wage an orchestrated campaign of disinformation 
against the Jobs and Growth Act. Having lost the battle to convince the 
voters that tax relief is fundamentally bad, and unable to win the 
legislative battle over passage of the tax cuts, Democrats are now 
engaged in damage control. That means that they will lie, twist and 
distort the truth about the benefits of the

[[Page 13808]]

plan, benefits that extend to nearly every person who actually pays 
Federal income taxes.
  They were on the wrong side of the issue then, and they are on the 
wrong side of the issue now. At least they are consistent.
  Fortunately, Republicans have the truth on our side and we are also 
consistent. We are consistently supporting legislation that will give 
working families tax relief.
  The facts are that the tax cuts Republicans passed will do these 
things:
  First, it will take an additional 3 million low income families off 
the Federal tax rolls completely. Let me repeat this, because I know as 
soon as I am finished, an opponent of tax relief will say this bill 
does nothing for the working poor. This bill takes an additional 3 
million low-income families off the Federal tax rolls completely.
  Second, we have also expanded the 10 percent tax bracket and 
increased the standard deduction for married couples. Both of these 
provisions are targeted to low and middle-income families.
  Third, the decision at the center of this maelstrom of 
misinformation, the child tax credit. Republicans raised the child tax 
credit from $600 to $1,000 effective immediately. All those families 
with children who pay Federal taxes will be able to take advantage of 
this credit.
  Those who oppose the tax relief plan are claiming this provision 
ignores some families. Absolutely untrue. Families that pay zero 
Federal taxes will not get this tax credit because they are already 
exempt from paying any Federal taxes. This credit is for the millions 
of families that do pay Federal taxes, giving them tax relief.
  The frantic attempts to discredit the jobs and growth plan are proof 
of just how great these tax cuts are for hard-working Americans. Those 
who oppose tax relief know that they have made a mistake and, instead 
of owning up to that mistake, they are trying to cover it up.
  Mr. Speaker, taxpayers should immediately adjust the amount withheld 
from their paychecks for Federal income taxes so that they feel the tax 
relief as soon as possible. When Americans start to keep more of their 
paychecks, when they get that child tax credit, they are going to 
remember who stood here and told them they did not deserve tax relief, 
and it was not the Republicans.

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