Freshman GOP Representatives Call For End of Death Tax | Estate Tax | John Boehner | The Daily Caller

Death Tax | Estate Tax | John Boehner | The Daily Caller

The House Republican freshman class has ratcheted up pressure on Speaker John Boehner to draw a sharp contrast with Democratic progressives and bring full repeal of the federal estate tax — popularly derided as the “death tax” — to a vote on the House floor.

Congressional Republicans, GOP freshman class president Rep. Austin Scott wrote in a public letter to the speaker, “are eager to present a clear cut choice to voters: Support the Republican plan to bury the death tax or support Democrats’ plan to hike the death tax to a crushing 45 percent rate, or higher.”

The Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2011, introduced by Rep. Kevin Brady in March 2011, has 206 House co-sponsors, including four Democrats, ensuring it easy passage in the GOP-dominated House.

On the Senate side, Republican John Thune proposed a version of the same legislation in March of this year. That bill currently has 36 cosponsors. (RELATED: As Obama touts Buffett tax, progressive ‘death tax’ comes under national siege)

While national polling shows Republicans are fighting an uphill public-opinion battle against President Barack Obama’s proposed “Buffett Rule” tax hike, state and national polling consistently shows that a majority of Americans oppose the estate tax and favor its permanent repeal.

“The American people,” Scott wrote, “favor the Republican proposal — consistently 60-70 percent of voters want the death tax buried permanently.”

President George W. Bush’s 2001 tax cut package gradually lowered the federal estate tax beginning in 2002, bringing it to zero in 2010. But since Congress didn’t act to maintain the result, the top rate — for estates worth over $5 million — rose back up to 35 percent in 2011.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/30/house-gop-freshmen-pressure-boehner-to-call-vote-on-death-tax-repeal/#ixzz1tdXNFlp9