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Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2008

Floor Speech

Date: May 8, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Budget and Spending


CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (House of Representatives - May 08, 2007)

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Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I listened to the terms of the gentleman from New Jersey speaking about not leaping first. It's kind of a very aesthetic way to say to it. No, what he's taking about is leaping on the American taxpayer. That's what the Democratic budget does. It does leap on the American taxpayer because it does increase $392 billion on the American taxpayer. This budget does. And all Americans are going to be paying for this. Middle-income families, low-income earners, families with children, and small businesses.

And we have heard again that they don't want to raise taxes in this budget. But if that's true, Mr. Speaker, then let's instruct the conferees to extend these popular tax provisions, these tax relief provisions.

Unfortunately, at the committee markup, Mr. Speaker, the Republicans offered several amendments to do just that, aimed at helping the hardworking American taxpayers. Not one single Democrat voted in favor of these commonsense tax cut provisions. And what were they, Mr. Speaker? Because they always like to say, oh, it's tax cuts for the rich. No. Let's talk about what they are, what they voted against in committee, without one dissenting vote.

They voted against extending the $1,000 per child tax credit. Not only the wealthy have kids in this country, Mr. Speaker. They voted against extending the marriage penalty tax relief. Not only the wealthy get married, at least not in the State of Florida that I represent. They voted against elimination of the death tax. That's right. They want dead people to pay more taxes. And they voted against extending the State and local tax deduction.

How does this affect regular middle-class Americans? Mr. Speaker, a middle-income family of four earning $60,000 will look at over a 60 percent tax increase by the year 2011. One hundred and fifteen million taxpayers will see their taxes increase an average of $1,700 by 2011. In Florida that I am privileged to represent, over 6.7 million taxpayers will see their taxes increase increased by over $3,000.

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