[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10069]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     SELLING MASSIVE TAX CUTS THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DO NOT WANT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, for the last 2 weeks, President Bush 
and his advisers have traveled the country, including a visit to my 
home State, trying to sell their massive tax cut to the American 
people.

                              {time}  1645

  They are wrapping it in fancy paper and calling it a ``stimulus 
package'' or an ``economic plan.'' But the American people are not 
buying it. In fact, many members of the President's own party disagree 
with this reckless proposal. They can dress this tax cut up any way 
they want and it is still just that: a tax cut for the wealthiest 1 
percent of Americans that does nothing to create jobs and will only 
sink our Nation further into debt. A tax cut of this size directed to 
the privileged few will not help our struggling economy no matter what 
it is called.
  I represent the 11th congressional district of Ohio. Since 2001, Ohio 
alone has lost 167,800 jobs, which is more than 3 percent of its total 
workforce. In the city of Cleveland, 53,900 jobs have been lost since 
the President was sworn into office, which is 4.7 percent of its 
workforce.
  Over the last few weeks, I have spoken with many members of the 
Cleveland business community and most agree on one thing: this tax cut 
is useless as a tool to help their struggling businesses. For example, 
local businesses tell me that they are much more likely to invest in 
new jobs and new technology if they are allowed to write off more of 
those investments on their taxes, and workers in the health care field 
feel they are best helped by increased provider reimbursements, not a 
dividend tax reduction.
  What is more, the Republican budget will mean cuts in local services 
of all kinds. It means fewer qualified teachers in our public schools. 
It means fewer police to keep our neighborhoods safe. It means fewer 
firefighters and EMTs to respond to our emergencies, and it means fewer 
hospitals dedicated to caring for the veterans who have put their lives 
on the line to protect ours.
  We can and we must do better than that.
  Democrats are all for cutting taxes. The difference is that we 
believe in cutting taxes responsibly so that those cuts can serve as 
fuel to get our economic engines turning again. We believe responsible 
tax cuts take into account the future as well as the present and do not 
increase deficits, raise interest rates, or risk jobs.
  That is why Democrats have proposed cutting taxes by $85 billion, and 
our tax cuts would go to those who really deserve it: hard-working 
Americans who are most likely to put the extra money back into our 
economy, and small businesses which need incentives to invest. Our tax 
cut is a part of a real stimulus package, a $135 billion plan to put 
Americans back to work by investing in the things that are most 
important to them: homeland security, education, health care, and 
transportation. The difference between these two plans is clear. It is 
simply a question of priorities.

                          ____________________