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  For Immediate Release  
November 8, 2007
Contact: Gene Smith, (202) 225-4695
 
REP. HOWARD BERMAN'S STATEMENT OF SUPPORT
 FOR H.R.  3996, THE AMT RELIEF BILL
 
Washington, D.C. - "I strongly support H.R. 3996, which contains must-pass provisions that provide Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) relief and extend a number of popular tax provisions set to expire this year.  It also includes an increased refundable child credit and a deduction for property taxes paid by homeowners.  Specifically, the bill would:
 
Cut Taxes for Millions of Middle-Class Families
  • Protect 23 million middle-class families from being hit by the Alternative Minimum Tax;
  • Provide 30 million homeowners with property tax relief;
  • Help 12 million children by expanding the child tax credit;
  • Benefit 11 million families  through the State and local sales tax deduction;
  • Help 4.5 million families better afford college with the tuition deduction;
  • Save 3.4 million teachers money with a deduction for classroom expenses; and 
  • Provide thousands of American troops in combat with tax relief under the Earned Income Tax Credit.
 
Restore Tax Fairness
  • Close tax loopholes that allow the privileged few on Wall Street to pay a lower tax rate on their income than other hardworking Americans, such as teachers and firefighters.
  • Stop hedge fund managers and corporate CEOs from escaping income taxes by using offshore tax havens as unlimited retirement accounts, while middle-class families play by the rules and pay their fair share of taxes.

Ensure Fiscal Responsibility

  • Reverse years of failed Republican policies that have mortgaged our grandchildren’s future with additional foreign-owned debt.
  • Protect future generations by not asking them to finance current tax cuts. Republican policies have resulted in $9 trillion of national debt, with an average daily interest payment of more than $1 billion.  Each American’s share of this debt exceeds $30,000 per person. 
  • Responsibly pay for middle-class tax relief by cracking down on special-interest tax breaks for the privileged few.
 
Grow the Economy
  • Extend the R&D tax credit to promote innovation and high-paying jobs.
  • Provide tax relief to millions of homeowners suffering from the current housing crisis.
  • Ensure long-term economic growth by adhering to pay-as-you-go budget rules.  These rules helped produce record budget surpluses and a robust economy in the 1990s by mandating no new deficit spending."
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