Date: 2003-11-05
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. the gentleman brought up really. really good points. One of the things that he mentioned. and I think it is true. and I think when we think about it. it is amazing. The gentleman mentioned how some of these very highprofile Democratic leaders want to repeal all of the tax cuts. the Bush tax cuts. and then they call it all sorts of different things. We have seen it: they say. cutting taxes on the rich. But let me read what some of those tax cuts they want to repeal are. because one of the things that some of our colleagues hate is when we speak with the facts in hand. Some of those are. if they were to be successful. that means that we would reinstate 9 million lowincome Americans back on the tax rolls. These are Americans. lowincome Americans that are now not paying Federal income tax because of the Bush tax plan. And what the Democrats are saying. if they were to succeed on that. that those highprofile leaders the gentleman mentioned. that those 9 million lowincome Americans would get back on the tax rolls and would have to start paying taxes. lowincome Americans. Are those the rich who they say that we should not cut their taxes? It would reinstate the marriage penalty. the marriage penalty. Is that for the rich? Do only rich people get married in this country? I mean. I do not know. Maybe I am learning something. No. No. It would reinstate the marriage penalty. It would cut in half the $1.000 per child tax credit. Do only rich people have children in this country? So they would then cut in half that tax cut. $1.000 tax cut. And do they insinuate? No. They say that the tax cuts. the Bush tax cuts are tax cuts on the wealthy. Excuse me? Cut in half the $1.000 per child tax credit?- Maybe it is news to the Democrats. but not only rich people have children. It would raise taxes on education savings by 75 percent. by 75 percent. Dealing with rich people here? No. It would eliminate the income tax deduction for payliig for college tuition. I know that It sounds hard to believe. but it would eliminate the income tax deduction for paying for college tuition. That is what they want to eliminate. Those are the tax cuts that they say are for the rich? No. No. No. Get real. They would increase a double tax on dividends by as much as 62 percent. They would reinstate the death tax. I do not know. Maybe only the rich die. Maybe they think that only the rich die. No. They would reinstate the death tax. They would eliminate the emergency tax relief to areas affected by the attacks of September 11. 2001. They would also do that. They can claim. they can say. they can state whatever they want to. These are the facts. The facts are that the Presidents tax cut proposal is working. that this Congresss leadership. making sure that that passed. has made. has created serious economic growth. And the reality is when they talk about eliminating all of Bushs tax cuts. they are not talking about eliminating tax cuts for the rich. they are talking about these tax cuts. And the hardworking Americans paid a lot of money. They sent a lot of money up to Washington. It is their money. My colleagues know what the President believes and what we believe. Mr. Speaker. that if you allow the American people to keep some of their money. good things happen. He was right. He was proven right. The leadership in this House was proven right. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota . who not only is a Congressman. but I think we also have to thank him for his previous service to this country. As Members know he was a colonel in the United States Marines. He makes us proud. I think all of us feel proud to have him as a colleague here in Congress.