[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         DEBT CONTRIBUTION ACT

  (Mr. STIVERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, sometimes small steps can make a big 
difference, and often the best legislation comes from our constituents. 
That's the case with legislation that I have introduced called the DEBT 
Contribution Act, which gives Americans simpler ways to make a tax-
deductible contribution specifically to reduce our national debt.
  Recently, I have received letters from constituents like this one 
asking how they can donate funds to pay down our national debt. I 
voluntarily give $700 out of every paycheck to go toward paying down 
the national debt, and I want to make it easier for like-minded 
citizens to do the same. That's why I've sponsored the DEBT 
Contribution Act. It does three things:
  First, it creates a check-off box on the individual tax return form 
to make it more user friendly to give a tax-deductible contribution to 
pay down the national debt.
  Second, it makes sure that 100 percent of those funds are used to 
reduce the national debt and not redirect it for any purpose.
  And, finally, it makes it clear that it is tax deductible, as it has 
been to give that charitable contribution.
  Our national debt is now $14.2 trillion, and we need to do everything 
we can to pay down our national debt. I urge my colleagues from both 
sides to support this measure.

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