On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, the House considered H.R. 6275: Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act (AMT) of 2008. This bill provides a one-year patch that will protect more than 25 million taxpayers from the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The original goal of the AMT was to ensure that everyone paid at least a minimum in taxes, and it was targeted toward high-income people who at the time could use multiple deductions and credits to avoid paying taxes. However, the AMT has not been updated for inflation and many middle-class families could be subject to the AMT if a patch is not approved while a longer term approach is developed. An AMT patch has passed the Congress in previous years, but unlike some previous patches, this legislation includes offsets that will not increase the deficit.
I voted YES. H.R. 6275 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:
| YEA | NAY | PRESENT | NOT VOTING | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEMOCRAT | 223 |
6 |
0 |
6 |
| REPUBLICAN | 10 |
183 |
0 |
6 |
| TOTAL | 233 |
189 |
0 |
12 |
| MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION |
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |