[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 29 (Monday, July 24, 2000)]
[Pages 1654-1655]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Marriage Penalty Tax Legislation

July 18, 2000

    While I strongly support targeted marriage penalty relief, the 
marriage penalty bill put forth by the majority in Congress is one part 
of a fiscally irresponsible, poorly targeted, and regressive tax plan. 
If this strategy succeeds, more benefits will go to the top one percent 
of taxpayers than to the bottom 80 percent of all Americans, while 
ignoring tax cuts I have proposed for college tuition, long-term care, 
savings, and child care. By itself, I would veto this bill. In the 
spirit of bipartisanship, however, I am willing to accept marriage 
penalty relief on this scale if Congress passes a plan that preserves 
the Medicare surplus to pay down the debt and passes a plan that gives 
real, voluntary Medicare prescription drug coverage that is available 
and affordable for all seniors. This is the best way

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to break the partisan logjam and help the tens of millions of older 
Americans across this country who face rising prescription drug costs.