Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 1308, Tax Relief, Simplification, and Equity Act of 2003

MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 1308, TAX RELIEF, SIMPLIFICATION, AND EQUITY ACT OF 2003 -- (House of Representatives - September 22, 2004)

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct.

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The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kansas?

There was no objection.

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the tenor of this debate and the sincere comments by my friend from Texas. I really do appreciate that sincerely. I think we have had a good debate here, and I do not think for a minute that the gentleman is insincere in the statements he made here tonight.

But I just think it is so important that, again, we lived, we thrived under these PAYGO rules until 2002, when they expired, and we should bring those PAYGO rules back across the board to apply to new spending as well as new tax cuts.

I believe the gentleman is correct: When the economy is slowed down, it is very appropriate to stimulate the economy through certain targeted tax cuts. I have voted for those before and I will vote for those again. But what we cannot do is have across-the-board tax cuts on everything, to tax cuts for middle-class taxpayers, as we have talked about here tonight, to total elimination of the estate tax and others.

We cannot afford all those tax cuts, because, again, Mr. Speaker, it is not we that pay for them; it is future generations in our country, and we are doing untold damage to our country and to the future of our kids and grandkids if we persist as we are here.

I invite the gentleman, I implore the gentleman and our colleagues across the aisle, to sit down with us to pass this motion, number one, and sit down with us and identify waste and fraud and abuse, where we can eliminate wasteful spending and continue to have the tax cuts that we have. That is the right recipe for our country, for the future. It is the right thing to do for our children and grandchildren and future generations in this great country that we all appreciate and love.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the motion.
There was no objection.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to instruct offered by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore).

The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the noes appeared to have it.

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.