[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14111]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             EXTENDING THE CHILD TAX CREDIT TO ALL CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, once again, I rise to urge the Republican 
leadership of this House to bring legislation to the floor which would 
create the expansion of the child tax credit for many, many more 
families in America. Last week, many of us spoke on this floor urging 
the Congress to act, to act for America's children, to act for 
America's working families. The Senate has acted; and now the main 
obstacle, indeed the only obstacle to those children having the benefit 
of the tax credit, is the Republican leadership in the House.
  Today, Senator Daschle, the distinguished minority leader in the 
Senate, and I sent a letter to the President thanking him for 
expressing his support for expanding the child tax credit. 
Unfortunately, again the Republican leadership in the House is blocking 
consideration of this vital legislation.
  The President's immediate intervention with House Republicans is 
required to ensure that 12 million working and military families are 
eligible for the child tax credit. These families need the money now, 
but this tax relief will not be made available to them apparently 
unless the President intervenes and urges the Republican House 
leadership to pass this extension immediately.
  How can we pass a tax bill that gives nearly $100,000 in tax cuts to 
people making over $1 million a year, $100,000 tax cut to those making 
$1 million a year, and yet say to people in our country who make the 
minimum wage, your children are not worthy of a $400 expansion of the 
tax credit?
  How do we say to our men and women in uniform, whose courage and 
patriotism we salute on a regular basis on this floor, how can we say 
to them we appreciate your courage, your patriotism and the sacrifice 
that you are willing to make for our country, but your children are 
unworthy of receiving the expansion of the tax credit because your 
military pay is not enough to qualify you for this tax cut?
  Putting money into the hands of these working and military families 
will help increase demand in our economy, creating jobs and stimulating 
the economy. There is a very practical and economic reason to do this, 
in addition to just a sense of decency and doing what is right for 
America's children.
  Because of the economic benefits and the fact that it is the right 
thing to do, the bill passed the Senate last week 94 to 2. But this 
week the bill is nowhere in sight.
  We want this freestanding bill to come to the House of 
Representatives. We want the House Republicans to stop their opposition 
to this tax relief for America's children. We want them to stop 
refusing to bring it to the floor of the House.
  Asking millions of working families who need the tax credit to help 
make ends meet in this stagnant economy, to sacrifice in order to pay 
for additional tax breaks for those who need it least is simply not 
right. Approximately 250,000 children of our men and women in uniform 
are being deprived of the expansion of this $400 tax credit in order to 
pay for a tax cut for millionaires in our country. I do not think it is 
an appropriate way to go.
  Who is looking after the children in our country? Clearly it is the 
Democrats.

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