FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2000
CONTACT: David Foy
(661) 254-2111

McKEON STATEMENT ON DEATH TAX REPEAL VETO OVERRIDE

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, issued the following statement today after the House of Representatives completed its vote on overriding President Clinton's veto of H.R. 8, death tax repeal. The final vote of 274-157 fell 11 votes short of the two-thirds margin necessary to override.

"I congratulate the bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives -- including 53 Democrats -- who voted today to override the Clinton-Gore administration's veto of legislation to repeal the death tax. It is unfortunate that the Clinton-Gore administration and a majority of Democrats in the House still oppose any and all tax relief for hard-working American families.

"The death tax is double taxation. Income is taxed when it is earned, and again when the person who earned the income dies. It is unfair and just plain wrong. In addition, the brunt of the death tax falls on employees of small businesses and family farms that must be sold or put out of business in order to pay the tax.

"With the Republican Congress having produced a balanced budget, stopped the Democrats' 30-year raid on the Social Security surplus and produced unprecedented repayment of the national debt, there is no reason why we can't tap some of the $2.17 trillion projected 10-year surplus for tax relief. The death tax is certainly one of the first that ought to be killed."

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