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   (Mr. PORTMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

   Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, we are still here tonight for one very simple reason. We are here with another battling with the President of the United States. He would like us to spend more money, and he would like us not to cut taxes for the American people. It is unbelievable.

   As we are working here tonight, the President is threatening to veto very reasonable, even targeted tax relief that helps people save more for retirement, helps people obtain health care, helps people be able to improve our schools and construct more schools around this country.

   He has even threatened to veto tonight the repeal of the Federal excise tax on telephones. This is the 1898 temporary luxury tax put in place on telephones that lives on today. This tax hits particularly people that have fixed incomes very hard.

   Think about it, everyone in America needs a telephone. It is very important to those of us who are worried about our economy and worried about what is going to keep our economy going that telecommunications not be taxed. Yet the President believes this tax, this 3 percent tax that is on every one of our phone bills that goes into general revenues that was put in place in 1898 as a temporary luxury tax ought to continue in existence.

   We have a surplus all created by the American people. Let us hope this President begins to give a little meaningful, serious, reasonable tax relief.

END