Congressman Zach Wamp said Wednesday that a marriage tax penalty relief bill passed by the House could benefit up to 200,000 families in East Tennessee.

The bill was approved by a 269 to 159 vote and is now headed to the U.S. Senate.

"About 200,000 married East Tennesseans pay an average of $1,400 per year, per couple more in taxes than they would if they were not married," Wamp said. "What we did today would provide relief from this very unfair burden."

"The American family is the cornerstone of American life," Wamp said. "But unfortunately our current tax code actually discourages folks from marrying and establishing stable families."

The House passed the same measure earlier this year. But it has been blocked in the U.S. Senate where many Democrats have opposed it. The House passed the measure again Wednesday in a form that will make it more difficult for opponents to block in the Senate.

President Clinton has twice vetoed earlier efforts to provide marriage penalty relief.

The bill (H.R. 4810) approved Wednesday would provide $182.3 billion in tax relief to 50 million working Americans over the next 10 years.

Among other things, the bill would increase the standard deduction for married couples, which is now $7,350 but would be $8,800 if the bill were in effect now. And it raises the amount of couples? income that is subject to the lowest, 15 percent tax rate. Currently the 15 percent rate applies only to the first $43,850 of a couple's income, but under the bill passed Wednesday that the low 15 percent rate would cover the first $52,500 of income.