Press Release

June 18, 2003

VOTES TO PERMANENTLY REPEAL 'DEATH TAX'

U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop Wednesday (6/18) voted to permanently repeal the federal estate tax, which he says is "politically misguided, morally unjustifiable, and downright un-American."

The House, by a vote of 264-163, passed the bill for the second year in a row, sending it to the Senate where it died last year. The measure proposes to make permanent the federal estate tax, commonly called the "death tax," which is currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2010. Representative Bishop has been a cosponsor both years.

The Second District Congressman said:

The 'death tax' is unfair and unjust because it undermines the life work and life savings of Americans who want only to pass along to their children and grandchildren the fruits of their labor and the realization of the American dream.

"In Georgia, farmers, many of whom are women and the children of deceased fathers, are faced with losing their family farm operations because of this harsh tax. Employees of small and medium size businesses, many of whom are minorities, are at risk of losing their jobs because their employers are forced to cut costs because they cannot afford the unfair 'death taxes' levied against them. Funeral homes, newspaper publishers, radio station owners, garment manufacturers are all affected-all across the demographic spectrum.

"The 'death tax' is politically misguided, morally unjustifiable, and downright un-American, and I will continue to fight to permanently eliminate it and return to the American people and their progeny the hard-earned fruits of their labor."

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