For most bills in Congress, names don't matter. But on some bills, especially those involving taxes, names can make a difference. They simplify a long and complicated proposal into a snappy phrase. A bill to put restrictions on HMOs is called the Patients Bill of Rights, which gives it a positive glow. A 1998 bill dubbed the Paycheck Protection Act would have forced labor unions to get members' permission to use their dues for political contributions.
Some names can be misleading.
The Republicans last year passed a bill called the Marriage Tax Penalty Relief Act. The bill addressed a quirk in federal laws that makes some married couples pay higher taxes than singles. But Democrats complained the name was misleading because the bill also had a substantial tax break for couples that did not suffer from the marriage penalty. By calling it that, you make the tax sound really insidious. They passed Congress last year but were vetoed by then-President Clinton.