[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21062-21063]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                  TAX BREAKS FOR THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY

  (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe the White House is planning 
to provide the gambling industry in the gulf region with special tax 
breaks as part of their economic recovery package. This is a disgrace.

[[Page 21063]]

  In the wake of devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, taxpayer 
dollars should be helping these, indeed, the poor and the vulnerable.
  In today's Washington Post, White House officials are quoted as 
saying they do not plan to exclude the gambling interests from 
receiving tax breaks.
  In Mississippi, the gambling interests do not even receive special 
economic development tax breaks. I am outraged. And probably more 
telling is the shock coming from the industry itself.
  A Harrah's spokesman in this morning's Post is quoted as saying, 
``We're actually scratching our heads. We can't ever remember an 
instance of being offered a tax credit, ever!''
  Economists in Mississippi say it is not needed. ``The casinos don't 
need this. If they are eligible, that would be a complete waste of 
money,'' from an economist from Ole Miss in The Washington Post today.
  It is outrageous with budget deficits growing to historic levels, tax 
breaks for the gambling industry does not make sense.
  The Bush administration, I will tell you, if this is in their 
package, this will be a disgrace and the American people will turn 
against this administration.
  Give the money to the poor, the needy, the vulnerable, and not to the 
gambling interests that already have special insurance policies for 
this.

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