Marriage Penalty Repeal. This measure would phase out over five years the marriage penalty in the income tax code. The marriage penalty taxes dual-income married families at a higher rate than couples who live together but are not married. Representative Jerry Weller (R-IL) explained that this vote was about "a very basic, fundamental question," namely: "Is it right that 25 million married working couples, 50 million taxpayers, pay on average $1,400 more in higher taxes just because they are married?"
The Senate passed H.R. 4810 on July 18, 2000 by a vote of 61-38 (Roll Call 215). We have assigned pluses to the yeas. Because this version of the bill had to be reconciled with that of the House, the Senate had another opportunity to vote on this important issue.
