Thirteen House Democrats Abandon Support of Death Tax Repeal

September 11, 2000
(Washington, D.C.)

U.S. Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn (8th Dist.--Wash.), author of the Death Tax Elimination Act, released the following statement after leading the charge to abolish the unfair death tax. The House failed to garner enough votes to override a presidential veto. The Act ends the unfair death tax over ten years through rate reduction.

The final vote on the Act was 274-157. With 431 members voting, 288 votes are needed to override a veto. Thirteen House Democrats, who supported death tax repeal in June, when the bill passed by a veto-proof margin, switched their votes. They are: Joe Baca (42nd Dist.-Calif.), Allen Boyd (2nd Dist.-Fl.), Peter Deutsch (20th Dist.-Fl.), Anna Eshoo (14th Dist.-Calif.), Sam Farr (17th Dist.-Calif.), Tom Lantos (12th Dist.-Calif.), Zoe Lofgren (16th Dist.-Calif.), Michael McNulty (21st Dist.-N.Y.), Jim Moran (8th Dist.-Va.), William Pascrell (8th Dist.-N.J.), Mark Udall (2nd Dist.-Colo.), Nydia Velazquez (12th Dist.-N.Y.), and Al Wynn (4th Dist.-Md.).

"Over 80% of the American public believes that death should not trigger a tax. I am confident that with a Republican-led 107th Congress, coupled with the George W. Bush Administration, American families will no longer have to suffer at the hands of the unfair, unnecessary death tax."

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