mr. speaker , since i first came to congress , i made it a priority to restore sales tax deductibility for my constituents in washington state . 
last year , working with a bipartisan coalition lead by mr. kevin brady xz4000460 and myself , we did successfully do that . 
this deduction saved washington state taxpayers over $ 500 million last year alone . 
unfortunately , the sales tax deduction will expire at the end of this year , and we must extend that deduction . 
accordingly , i applaud both the democrats and the republicans for including in their packages a 1-year extension . 
frankly , i would like to have made it a permanent extension . 
nevertheless , i am concerned at a time of war in the aftermath of this country 's most devastating natural disaster how we can in good conscience support a tax bill that will add at least $ 20 billion to our national debt to provide a tax break that goes predominantly to the wealthy , and by that i mean the capital gains and dividend tax cut . 
earlier , the distinguished chairman of the rules committee said the american people get it . 
i have to say , i just had five town halls in my district ; the american people do get it . 
they get that this bill , the republican majority bill , is passing on enormous deficits to our children . 
debt to our children , that is what we are doing . 
the democratic substitute , by comparison , is revenue neutral . 
it extends the tax breaks that benefit small individual taxpayers and small businesses , and it extends sales tax deductibility without increasing the deficit . 
what is more , the democratic substitute protects taxpayers against the amt hit as people 's income brings them into the amt category . 
if my friends on the other side of the aisle want to say if we do not extend the dividend and capital gains tax cut , we have an automatic tax increase , why not say the same about the amt fix ? 
you have not chosen to put the amt fix in your bill . 
does that not constitute an automatic tax increase ? 
i believe it does . 
the democrats have prevented that . 
the difference is this : when republicans talk about choices , the choices they are talking about is whether the most wealthy people in this country will choose to take their earnings , or winnings , from capital gains or dividends . 
the poor people in this country have to choose between heating their houses and providing food for their children . 
