mr. speaker , i rise in strong support of h.r. 8 , legislation that would permanently repeal the death tax , a tax that haunts millions of small business owners and farmers nationwide .  the last thing the federal government should be doing is taking more money from small business owners and farmers , and curtailing further economic growth .  they are the backbone that drives our economy forward .  i commend mr. hulshof for his leadership on this issue and praise his vision to continue lowering the federal tax burden .  throughout my twenty-two years in congress , i have proudly voted for every major tax cut initiative considered by the house .  cutting taxes is one of my highest priorities .  i remain convinced that letting americans keep more of what they earn will help stimulate the economy and create more jobs .  people will not hide this much-needed relief under their mattress or store it in their closet ; instead they will purchase necessary goods and services .  an increased demand for these goods and services will require more employees ; therefore , providing incentives for businesses to hire more workers -- putting unemployed americans back on the job and providing a framework for long-term economic growth .  the key to growing our economy is simple -- allow americans to keep more of their own money to spend , save , and invest .  my favorite four-letter word -- do n't worry , it 's a four letter word that can be used in polite company -- is jobs .  permanently repealing the death tax will create new jobs across the nation .  cutting taxes is not unprecedented .  since 2001 , congress has repeatedly passed legislation , which i 'm proud to say i voted for , to lower the federal tax burden .  for example , we voted to extend relief from the marriage penalty tax , a burdensome tax on married couples for doing nothing more than saying `` i do. '' we also voted to extend the alternative minimum tax reforms ( amt ) , which is the right step toward making sure the amt applies only to those people it was designed to cover , not working families just trying to make ends meet .  we also supported a measure to extend the 10 % bracket to lower taxes for hard working , low-income families .  finally , we voted to extend the $ 1 , 000 child tax credit .  it only makes sense to take the next step and permanently repeal the death tax .  i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 8 , and put an end to this unfair , unjust , and inefficient burden on our economy .  