Hundreds of State Legislators Back the President on Tax Relief

Over 550 legislators from across the nation call on Congress to pass the full Jobs and Growth plan advocated by the President, not the Senate\’s watered down version.

WASHINGTON – President Bush\’s new round of tax cuts is receiving support from an unlikely source, as state legislators from across America are lining up to endorse the plan. In the last 10 days, over 550 state legislators, from both political parties and spanning Alaska to Florida to Maine, have signed letters supporting the President\’s tax relief initiative.

But the effectiveness of the President\’s plan is being threatened by the U.S. Senate. In an example of being penny-wise and pound-foolish, the Senate has slashed the size of the tax package to less than half of the President\’s proposal. The Bush plan would reduce taxes by $743 billion over 10 years, by eliminating the double taxation of dividend income and speeding up the implementation of tax rate reductions scheduled for future years, creating over a million new jobs by the end of 2004 in the process.

"The U.S. Senate is being short-sighted," said taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist, who heads Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) in Washington. "America\’s economy is struggling, and American families are afraid of losing their jobs. Being close to the people, state legislators know that half measures will not get the economy moving again. That\’s why they are supporting the President\’s bold, full package. ATR calls on the Senate to take the tax bill back to the floor and expand the size to allow for the full Bush tax plan."

The campaign is part of ATR\’s Legislative Advisory Project, which seeks to involve state legislators in national issues. So far this year, 98 resolutions have been passed by 50 legislative bodies in 32 states on issues from national security to economic policy.

A complete list of letter signers can be found on ATR\’s website at www.atr.org/pdffiles/signers.pdf.

"When the officials closest to the people speak, U.S. Congressmen and Senators ought to listen," continued Norquist. "These state legislators know that it is the dividend provisions, and the marginal income tax rate cuts, and the small business tax cuts that will create jobs and get the economy moving. Will the Senate listen to the people, or to Washington special interests?"