[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6123]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               VOTE TO REPEAL DEATH TAX ONCE AND FOR ALL

  (Mr. KELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, the death tax kills small family-owned 
businesses, it makes financial planning nearly impossible, and it is an 
unfair form of double taxation.
  The death tax is itself the leading cause of death for over one-third 
of all small, family-owned businesses who cannot afford to pay a death 
tax rate of up to 55 percent in order to keep the family business 
alive. Under current law, there will be no death tax owed in the year 
2010, but, in 2011, death taxes go up to 55 percent. Unfortunately, the 
only family-owned business in America who knows whether someone will 
die in the year 2010 is the Sopranos. The rest of us have to spend 
thousands of dollars each year on accountants, lawyers, and financial 
planners to make sure our family-owned business survives.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote yes to completely repeal 
the death tax once and for all.

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