Statement By 60 Plus President Jim Martin

For Immediate Release:April 4, 2001
Hugh Newton (202) 608-6150

Kill the Death Tax. Kill It, Don’t Wound It.

Statement by 60 Plus Association President James L. Martin on House Action Passing Death Tax Repeal

Washington, D.C.–The 60 Plus Association hails the 274-154 vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the death tax.

Way back in 1993, 60 Plus founded the Coalition to Kill the Death Tax. Our battle cry was kill it, don’t wound it.

Also, way back in 1993, 60 Plus began calling the Federal estate and gift and generation skipping tax, the death tax, grim reaper’s, grave robber’s, exit, departure and cruel tax. It can now be called a voluntary tax so those few misguided billionaires, who deign to speak for millions of Americans, can go ahead and pay it, if that’s their true intent.

Eight arduous years later, the House has done the right thing and voted, as it did last year, to repeal this confiscatory tax. While President Clinton vetoed it, on the ruse that it was a windfall for the wealthy, President Bush will not hesitate to sign it.

The truly rich, Bill Gates, Ted Turner, Oprah Winfrey, don’t pay it, setting up trusts and foundations to avoid it, and who can blame them? Instead, it’s small businesses and farmers who suffer.

On behalf of a half million senior citizens, none wealthy that I personally know of, and to those who claim it barely affects 2% or less, 60 Plus points to several polls, including one it commissioned that shows 77% of the public wants this tax removed from the code. Not that they are affected by it, but they cite the unfairness of it.

When we first learned of Representative Chris Cox’ (R-CA) efforts back in1993, he had fewer than a dozen co-sponsors to repeal. Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) became the chief architect on that side of Capitol Hill, and Reps. Jennifer Dunn (R-WA) and John Tanner (D-TN) are driving forces for repeal. 60 Plus has made this issue its major focus for the nine years we have been in existence, therefore, we take great pride in this vote.”

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