John Ashcroft on Tax Reform

Eliminate marriage penalty; target child credits

TAX REFORM

Helped to enact a $500 per child income tax credit targeted to low and middle income families. (P.L. 105-34, 1997)
Won majority support for eliminating the marriage penalty tax, an unfair fine on 40% of married couples in America, and to repeal the death tax. (S. 1428/H.R. 2488, 1999; vetoed by President)

Source: JohnAshcroft.org, campaign web site Nov 7, 2000

Eliminate marriage penalty; make IRS more accountable

TAX REFORM

Helped to enact legislation making the IRS accountable and responsive to taxpayers by shifting the burden of proof of wrongdoing back to the IRS, imposing penalties for misuse of taxpayer records, and cutting bureaucracy to save $1.2 billion over the first 10 years. (P.L. 105-206, 1998)

Source: JohnAshcroft.org, campaign web site Nov 7, 2000

Cut tax rates to 10% for middle class & 25% maximum

The average taxpayer worked until May 10th this year just to pay for government. This is outrageous. It must end. Under the Ashcroft Fair Tax, no American will pay more than a quarter of his income to the federal government. The income tax rate on wages subject to the payroll tax (currently $68,400) would be cut to 10%. Additional wage income would be subject to a 25% tax rate. Businesses also would pay taxes under the same system -10% for income below the payroll tax cap, and 25% for other income Source: Lincoln Institute Journal (Fall 1998) Oct 9, 1998

Abolish the death tax & other taxes as part of $1.7T tax cut

The Ashcroft Fair Tax would abolish the “death tax,” or inheritance tax; eliminate the alternative minimum tax; reduce the capital gains rate to 10%, and allow every American to invest up to $5,000 after-tax dollars annually in an Individual Savings Account. Americans would be able to withdraw this money from their account without penalties, whenever necessary, for whatever reasons. These structural changes would give American taxpayers a $1.7 trillion tax cut over five years. Source: Lincoln Institute Journal (Fall 1998) Oct 9, 1998

Voted YES on eliminating the 'marriage penalty'.

Vote on a bill that would reduce taxes on married couples by increasing their standard deduction to twice that of single taxpayers and raise the income limits on both the 15 percent and 28 percent tax brackets for married couples to twice that of singles Bill HR.4810 ; vote number 2000-215 on Jul 18, 2000

Voted YES on phasing out the estate tax ("death tax").

Vote on a bill that would eventually eliminate the tax imposed on estates and gifts by 2010 at an estimated cost of $75 billion annually when fully phased in. Bill HR 8 ; vote number 2000-197 on Jul 14, 2000

Voted YES on across-the-board spending cut.

The Nickles (R-OK) Amdendment would express the sense of the Senate that Congress should adopt an across-the-board cut in all discretionary funding, to prevent the plundering of the Social Security Trust Fund
Status: Amdt. Agreed to Y)54; N)46 Reference: Nickles Amdt #1889; Bill S. 1650 ; vote number 1999-313 on Oct 6, 1999

Voted YES on $792B tax cuts.

This vote was on a motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act against the Gramm (R-TX) amendment which would reduce taxes by $792 billion over 10 years by reducing all income tax rates by 10%, effectively eliminating the so-called "marriage penalty".
Status: Motion Rejected Y)46; N)54 Reference: Motion to waive Congressional Budget Amendment in regards to the Gramm Amdt #1405; Bill S. 1429 ; vote number 1999-230 on Jul 29, 1999

Voted YES on requiring super-majority for raising taxes.

Senator Kyl (R-AZ) offered an amendment to the 1999 budget resolution to express the sense of the Senate on support for a Constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority to pass tax increases.
Status: Amdt Agreed to Y)50; N)48; NV)2 Reference: Kyl Amdt #2221; Bill S Con Res 86 ; vote number 1998-71 on Apr 2, 1998

Voted YES on FY99 tax cuts.

Senator Coverdell (R-GA) offered an amendment to the 1999 budget resolution to reduce revenues by $101.5 billion over the next 5 years, to provide middle-class tax reflief
Status: Motion Rejected Y)38; N)62) Reference: Motion to waive CBA Re: Coverdell Amdt. # 2199; Bill S Con Res 86 ; vote number 1998-55 on Apr 1, 1998

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