Ehrlich on Washington column, September 11, 2000

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. JjSkt Second Congressional District of Maryland m 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of September 1 1 , 2000 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Why the Death Tax Still Lives Earlier this year, I expressed to you the reasons behind my support for elimination of the federal death tax. The death tax enables the Internal Revenue Service to take up to 55% of the value of a family business or farm when its owner, the survivors’ loved one, passes away. It hits a family at its worst time and is the most onerous form of double taxation. Fairness and common decency dictate that individuals should be able to leave their heirs a full legacy. Instead, they are left with a tax bill derived from the value of their property on which taxes have already been paid. In June, my colleagues and I passed H.R.8, The Death Tax Elimination Act, of which I was a cosponsor. The large vote margin of 270-136 was due to the fact 65 Democrats joined 213 Republicans and one Independent in supporting the legislation. On July 14, 2000, the United States Senate passed H.R.8 by a vote of 59-39, another large margin. Clearly, this is a bipartisan issue. Despite the strong show of support from both Houses of Congress to kill the death tax, and a July 2000 poll showing 77% of all Americans supporting its elimination, President Clinton vetoed the bill. This Congress, however, refuses to allow the Clinton-Gore Administration to continue pushing small family-owned businesses and farmers around, at least not without a fight. Last week, the House Leadership attempted to override the President’s veto. Unfortunately, this effort failed. In the process, thirteen Democrats switched their initial votes to kill the death tax in order to keep the tax alive at the behest of the Clinton-Gore Administration. It appears these Members decided political expediency comes before integrity, and that it is preferable to pander to the President and their standard bearer, Mr. Gore, than it is to stand by their constituents. In his acceptance speech in Los Angeles, the Vice President said he wanted to “fight the powerful on behalf of the working people.” By opposing the elimination of the death tax - and by coaxing 13 Democrats into following his misguided lead - Mr. Gore is doing exactly the opposite. The Vice President is placating the most powerful industry of all, the federal government, at the expense of America’s working people, particularly its small business owners.