[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11981]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                CONGRESS MUST PERMANENTLY END DEATH TAX

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, thanks to President Bush's 
historic tax relief, our economy is surging and 1.4 million jobs have 
been created since August. However, if we do not act, one of the 
hardest and most unjust penalties on Americans, the death tax, will 
return in full force in 2011.
  The death tax essentially is a double tax that forces families to pay 
taxes on estates that are passed on from generation to generation. 
According to Citizens For a Sound Economy, nearly 70 percent of small 
businesses do not make it past the first generation because of this 
tax. Additionally, American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman has 
pointed out that many of our Nation's farmers must sell parts or all of 
their land to simply pay taxes. This is also catastrophic for family-
owned auto dealerships, funeral homes, and beverage distributors.
  The American people know it is fundamentally wrong to be taxed twice 
and know the importance of passing something of value on to their own 
children. I urge Congress to act quickly and kill the death tax once 
and for all.
  In conclusion, may God bless our troops, and we will never forget 
September 11.

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