[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 30 (Monday, July 31, 2000)]
[Pages 1665-1666]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Marriage
Penalty Tax Legislation

July 22, 2000

    While I strongly support targeted marriage penalty relief, the 
marriage penalty bill promoted by Republicans in Congress is one part of 
a costly, poorly targeted, and regressive tax plan. This plan would risk 
our fiscal discipline and continued prosperity while giving more 
benefits to the top one percent of taxpayers than to the bottom 80 
percent of all Americans. At the same time, the Congress has ignored tax 
cuts I have proposed for college tuition, long-term care, savings, and 
child care. This latest bill just passed by the Congress is even more 
costly than the earlier versions passed by the House and Senate. In the 
interest of fiscal responsibility, I will veto this and any subsequent 
legislation that threatens our ability to pay down the debt and 
strengthen Medicare and Social Security.

[[Page 1666]]