This is the kind of thing that helps the rich only get richer and the poor get poorer. Its sad that our President is only looking out for his friends and family. This should not even be something that should be looked at. Its only going to put more money back into the pocket of the wealthy folks in this Country. They always seem to be the ones with the big tax breaks already. Its time for a change!!!!1

A h-u-g-e tax break for Oil C.E.O.s??
Is anyone surprised by this story?
That has been the MO of the current administration for 6 years now.
Coincidence?
Uh, I don't think so.

Is this any surprize? America is for sale, and all of Bush's buddies are getting the blue light special. While thousands of American service members are being killed and mamed for no reason, America's richest families are headed for the bank.

The American electorate should be ashamed of itself.

"Proponents of the repeal argue that the estate tax hurts family farms and small businesses" is an amusing interlude since Bush and his neo-con losers have done everything they could, to hurt family farms and small businesses until they need to pretend they like them as in this instance of brainwashed "hose grease" they like to spew when they need to...makes you wonder why ABC network went on-air in 1984 and tried to say Orwell was wrong but I think he only missed by 4 years with "ronnie rayguns" but if he missed by 22 years, does it matter? ABC network also backed Bush on purpose in the 2000 "selection run-up" and it is something we will look at in the years ahead, Mr.Iger(sp.?)...

This site is just terrific; if only half the stories appeared on your network, ABC News would be at the pinnacle of what Murrow wanted it to be.

I really feel much better now that my student loans are taking a drastic leap in interest rate this July, just in time to fund the greased pigs at Exxon and Co.

Could I get just a little of that $200 Mil, so I can have a shot at supporting my wife and kids too?

America, where the rich just keep getting richer.

Who said congress and especially our current Pres is not for sale. It does not take a Math Major to do the numbers on this.

I wonder how many in congress is wringing their hands over the current approval numbers and wondering WHY!

Does anyone in our government have any idea of the papers written by Plubis and Sicero?

Larry C.
Ojai, CA

Notice how much Congress fights these tax changes...NOT. They want to get the tax breaks also. You better believe they will be shouting about it from now until the elections. America needs to vote out all elected officials. Until we get the old out and new fresh ideas in, America will just continue to be divided more and more. The problem is that rarely, do the old time Congressman get booted. America the blind, we are learning this from re-electing Bush. Where is the revolution, i'm ready to sign up.

So, not only are the oil companies reporting record profits they now have to heavily reward their ceo's with their high priced lawerys and shelf bought government bureaucrats.

How inusulting can "OUR GOVERNMENT" be towards its poor and hard working Americans!

Mark

I am a lower middle class american and while I don`t agree with the whole CEO pay package and tax breaks; you have to realize that rich people don`t become rich because they steal from the poor or the government gives them a bigger pice of the pie. Rich people make their own bakeries. Quit whining, we are in the richest country with the most opporunities for anyone with some brains, balls and education to make it rich. Instead of whining, go back to school and make something out of your Life.

Its no surprise, the laws in this country are made by the rich, for the rich and for their benefit and not for the benefit of the poor working force. Things will only change when we clean out the Senate (they are all rich, so why would they design breaks for us)and elect the average housewife who has to deal with the daily battle of having to rob Peter to pay Paul. Then only then will we the poor working force benefit from these tax breaks and benefits that seem to be designed only for the rich.

It is very difficult to imagine that our elected representatives could be so duped by anyone proposing to write a check for five hundred billion dollars to the one thousand richest americans and at the same time argue that they are simply voting for the family farm and small business. There are many concerns for the family farm and small businesses in this country. However, estate taxes are way down the list of concerns.

Well, Americans must love what the Bush Administration is doing. They voted for him twice. We the people failed ourselves by putting the idiot in office..............AGAIN!!!! When we point the finger at this failed administration, we have three pointing back at us. Who is to blame, the administration or the people who put it there by choice?

"Proponents of the repeal argue that the estate tax hurts family farms and small businesses because it applies to estates worth over $2 million for individuals and $4 million for couples."

The fact is $2 million is not as much as it used to be. $4 million is maybe JUST enough for someone my age (30-something) to retire early and continue enjoying a middle class lifestyle. All money matters need to take into account the rate of inflation.

Hopefully the Senate will vote down a complete repeal of the estate tax and introduce new legislation that just bumps up the limits a bit. It's time for a tax break that benefits the middle class. Unfortunately I think the wealthy politicians will only continue to benefit themselves and their Fortune 500 buddies at the expense of the REAL backbone of this country, skilled labor and small business owners.

Let's vote all Republicans out of Congress whether they pass this or not. I don't trust any legislation whatsoever written by them now.

WAKE UP AMERICA - ITS TIME WE TOOK OUR COUNTRY BACK FROM THE RICH !
Today more than anytime in history
The rich are getting obscenely richer
The poor are getting much poorer
And the middle class are working
harder then ever to keep their heads above
water and support EVERYTHING !
And many of the middle class are going under !

We have become a government
BY THE RICH - FOR THE RICH
AND THE RICH DO NOT CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU OR ME !
The Majority of the TOP 2 PERCENT RICH ARE GREEDY PEOPLE
AND THEY TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER ON OUR BACKS !

Dave Kaspersin

Dave Kaspersin 2006

Our value system for the greedy is soo sick. The corporate scum lays off and outsources middle class jobs then turns around and reward those greedy scumbags who already have everything and then some!! Capitalism is fine ... Greed is not

Waxman says repealing the estate tax mostly benefits the wealthy and would "cost the government $1 trillion over the next ten years."

Isn't it funny how politicians (read Deomocrats) think that the "government" is entitled to the wealth that has been taxed at least once already and has likely taken a lifetime (usually) of risk-taking and solid investing (usually) to accumulate by people who usually are the biggest job creators (read tax revenue generators)in this country?

Government, as we all know, squanderers its resources (my tax dollars) and then feels entitled to a huge cut of what we manage to leave behind to our children! Let our children do stupid stuff with our wealth like investing in research and development, growing and/or starting businesses, giving to philathropic endeavors. Oh wait, the government can use those death taxes to cut more entitlement checks to illegals. My bad!

GREED these guys are raping us. It can only last so long

I am a firm fiscal conservative. I support reduced taxes when associated with equivalent cuts in spending. Deficit spending is a cancer eating away at our country's future. Our current administration and congress is not looking out for the interests of we the people. The mantra seems to be "increases spending, reduce revenue, let someone else clean up the mess later, get the money while the getting is good."

What ever happened to the idea of a flat tax. For every dollar earned in this country the government gets a fixed "cut". I know there are complications that would need to be worked out to assure that money didn't get double taxed. But it can't be more complicated that the current system.