June 10th, 2003
By
DAVID WELNA
National Public Radio
(NPR)
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Michele Norris.
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
And I'm Melissa Block.
Congressional Republicans took considerable heat for removing part of the Bush
tax-cut plan benefiting low-income families. The change was made just before
final passage of the bill. Last week in response to the public outcry, the
Senate restored the tax credit to more than six million low-income families
with children. But rather than simply approve the Senate bill, the House has
drawn up its own child tax credit fix that carries a far bigger price tag.
NPR's David Welna reports from the Capitol.
Unidentified Woman: We got to put our prayers into action, God, and so right
now in the homes of hundreds...
DAVID WELNA reporting:
At what was billed as a prayer gathering held today in an ornate Senate caucus
room, religious leaders from around the country joined to press House GOP
leaders to pass a child tax credit for low-income families. The Reverend Jim
Wallace heads the multidenominational group Call to Renewal.
Reverend JIM WALLACE (Call to Renewal): The White House heard the outrage; now
the president says, too, that we should do the right thing, that the House
should do the right thing. Now we will wait to see if they do and to see if
low-income families and their children are embraced.
WELNA: Meanwhile, at a notebooks-only briefing for reporters in the Capitol,
Majority Leader Tom DeLay scoffed at the notion that the House would simply
take up the bill passed last week by the Senate that restores the child tax
credit for low-income families. As DeLay put it, 'Ain't going to happen.' This
followed what essentially were marching orders from President Bush to pass the
Senate bill conveyed yesterday by White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Mr. ARI FLEISCHER (White House Spokesman): His advice to the House Republicans
is to pass it, to send it to him so that he can sign it. He understands they're
going to take a look at some other tax matters; that's their prerogative. But
he wants to make certain that this does not get slowed down, bogged down; he
wants to sign it.
WELNA: Asked about Fleischer's comment, DeLay replied acidly, 'Last time I
checked, he doesn't have a vote.'
Late this afternoon, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas
announced the House would consider as soon as Thursday its own bill to fix the
child tax credit omission. But while the Senate bill's $10 billion cost is paid
for by increased customs fees, the House bill carries an $85 billion price tag
with nothing to offset the cost. Thomas said that's the price of extending the
tax credits for a full decade rather than the three years in the Senate's bill.
Representative BILL THOMAS (Republican, California; Chairman, House Ways and
Means Committee): I understand that you can pay for offsets when you're doing
politics. Politics is always cheap. When you do policy and you're trying to
help real people for a decade, that costs money.
WELNA: The Senate would likely balk at the House bill's bigger price tag and
the fact that it's not paid for with offsets. Its higher cost might also force
House Democrats to vote against it, even though they've been pushing hard to
restore the child tax credits. Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky says she
can only see herself voting for a bill like the one passed by the Senate.
Representative JAN SCHAKOWSKY (Democrat, Illinois): If it is not and if it is a
loaded-up bill, I won't be able to support such a measure. I think in the long
run, or maybe even in the short run, it will end up hurting those working
families and will just serve once again that very top level of Americans that
they seem so dedicated to helping--the very richest.
WELNA: Last night Republican Congressman Mike Castle of Delaware introduced the
Senate's bill fixing the child tax credit. Like other GOP moderates in the
House, Castle says he simply wants to get that fix over and done with. He's
worried Republicans have gotten a black eye for taking it out of the original
tax-cut bill.
Representative MICHAEL CASTLE (Republican, Delaware): I don't think the black
eye would last very long if this is done quickly, but I think if there is an
effort either to scuttle this or to delay it indefinitely, then that might be
quite a shiner, then the black eye would last for a long time.
WELNA: But for House Republican leaders, this may be payback time. By proposing
a much more costly fix to the child tax credit problem, they have a chance to
get even with the Senate, which last month forced those leaders to settle for a
tax cut less than half the size that they wanted. David Welna, NPR News, the
Capitol.
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