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    Dunn's Death Tax Repeal Bill Passes Senate, Heads To White House

    Dunn Calls on President to Sign Bill

    July 14, 2000
    (Washington, D.C.)

    Defying the odds and confounding the critics, U.S. Congresswoman Dunn's (8th Dist.--Wash.) top tax priority, death tax repeal, passed the U.S. Senate today by a vote of 59 to 39.

    "This is a major victory for our nation's small-business owners, family farmers and ranchers, and all others who have worked through their lives to create a legacy to pass onto their children," cheered Dunn. "While we have stunned our opponents with our successes, one giant hurdle remains. Now, only one person stands in the way of American families' relief from the unfair death tax: President Clinton."

    Introduced by Dunn and U.S. Congressman John Tanner (8th Dist.--Tenn.), the Death Tax Elimination Act, H.R. 8, would reduce and ultimately abolish the unfair death tax over a ten year period. While pundits and skeptics argued that it couldn't be done, Dunn and Tanner persisted.

    To ensure priority action by House Republican Leadership, Dunn and Tanner worked to assemble a broad, bipartisan coalition of support. Two hundred and forty six Members of Congress, including 46 Democrats, signed on the bill. In a rare move involving bypassing the committee approval process, the Senate moved on Dunn's measure quickly after the overwhelming bipartisan House vote of 279-136, with 65 Democrats voting in favor of the bill last month.

    H.R. 8 garnered the support of the Black Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the National Indian Business Association, among nearly 100 other groups. "The people represented by these organizations understand the devastating impact the death tax forces on families. Everyone wants to ensure their hard work will make life better for their children, but the death tax is their enemy," said Dunn.

    Although death tax supporters claim only 2% of Americans pay the death tax, almost every family business or farm pays the "compliance tax." These are the billions of dollars spent every year on attorneys, accountants, and life insurance policies to ensure that loved ones will have enough cash on hand to pay the death tax. The numbers also do not reflect the number of businesses sold because the resulting capital gains tax is less than the death tax.

    "Because many helped to move this bill through the process, we now find ourselves one step away from abolishing the unfair death tax. We urge the President to sign this bill," said Dunn.

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