[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14117]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


         TAX PLAN EXCLUDES POOR FAMILIES FROM CHILD TAX CREDIT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Madam Speaker, approximately 2 weeks ago the 
administration signed into law one of the largest tax cut breaks ever 
for the wealthiest Americans. He did so at a time when the unemployment 
is on the rise. Since President Bush took office, approximately 2 
million jobs have been lost, and the Hispanic community is being hit 
hard; and the minorities throughout this country are being hit hard. 
Those hardworking Americans are now at 7.5 percent unemployment, a lot 
more in proportion than the rest of the population.
  People want to work, but the jobs are simply not there. But instead 
of pursuing policies to stimulate the economy, instead of looking at 
creating jobs such as providing resources to improve our infrastructure 
in this country, when we have the decaying bridges, when we have 
decaying infrastructure, when most of our dams are 50 to 60 years old, 
instead of investing in our country and in the next generation, the 
administration has chosen to push through a plan that includes a tax 
cut that does nothing to address the financial problems and worries 
that are facing millions of Americans.
  While making false promises that the tax cut will create jobs and 
stimulate our economy, these tax cuts are targeted primarily at the 
large corporations; and the wealthiest of Americans, such as those that 
earn $1 million a year, will see a tax cut of nearly $100,000. We 
understand that people who pay taxes deserve a break, but we have gone 
from record surpluses to skyrocketing deficits.
  We get elected to come up here to respond to the problems that 
confront Americans, those problems that our senior citizens continue to 
have difficulty with, such as prescription drug coverage. Our seniors 
are still having difficulties in not being able to buy prescription 
drugs. Our seniors are still having difficulties not being able to have 
access to affordable health care. In a country that has the most, the 
best health care in the world, our seniors are having, and Americans 
throughout are having, difficulties having affordable and accessible 
health care.
  We need to make sure that we address the problems that our seniors 
continue to confront in prescription drug coverage. We need to make 
sure that we continue those efforts on Social Security to ensure that 
the next generations will not be left without and left in poverty. We 
cannot meet our obligations to support critical health and education 
programs with a tax cut this size, as it does, because we all recognize 
how irresponsible it is.
  Now, we find that in addition to favoring the wealthiest of this 
country, the administration's tax cut plan excludes those that need the 
assistance the most, the low- and moderate-income families. Families 
that make in between $10,500 to $26,625 a year are now, under law, 
excluded from collecting the $400 child tax credit.

                              {time}  2015

  Those who could benefit the most from the tax credit have been left 
out and find themselves unable to qualify.
  In my district the median income is approximately $23,000, and so 
more than half would fall under this category. The child tax credit has 
long been crucial for working families who deeply are affected by tax 
burden. They also are entitled to this child tax credit.
  While more than 85 percent of Hispanic males are in the workforce, 
which is the largest percentage for any ethnic group or anyone, many 
Hispanics work in low-wage temporary and seasonal jobs. Latinos are out 
there working hard, making things happen; yet those are the ones that 
are being left out from being able to participate in a child tax 
credit. How can the administration argue that this plan helps working 
men and women when working families are the ones that are left out?
  The hardworking Americans may not be one of the wealthiest, but they 
are the future of this country. They are the ones that make the economy 
go. They are the workforce of this country. Our communities deserve the 
gratitude and respect from the leaders that represent them, and they 
deserve a fair share of any proposed tax relief plan, not just the 
crumbs left over after the Nation's wealthiest few.
  We need to make sure that the tax plans are plans that are 
appropriate. They need to be responsive. We also need to make sure that 
we address the issues that confront us, such as the need for health 
care and other things.

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