[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13850-13851]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            CHILD TAX CREDIT

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I recently listened to many of our friends 
on the other side of the aisle characterize the tax cuts as misdirected 
and targeted to the wrong people. According to the Joint Economic 
Committee, the new tax bill provides the largest percentage reductions 
in the income taxes of low- and middle-income groups, thereby shifting 
the tax burden upward.
  Low-income families in particular benefit from this economic growth 
and tax relief package through a number of provisions, including 
increasing the child tax credit to $1,000. Even families who do not owe 
taxes may benefit from the tax credit because of the current refundable 
feature of the credit.

[[Page 13851]]

  Let us not forget that this group of low-income taxpayers received 
significant benefit from the tax cuts that passed in 2001, and they 
continue to benefit from this legislation today.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot continue to punish those who work hard, take 
risks, and are successful. We need the success of those individuals for 
the economy to recover. The country needs the jobs that their success 
will generate.
  I remember weeks ago when the folks on the other side of the aisle 
opposed a tax cut of any kind during the debate on the economic 
stimulus bill. I believe it is time for some to figure out where they 
stand today.

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