Lott appears cool to Bush tax cut plan
By Brad Wright/CNN
February 1, 2000
Web posted at: 5:38 p.m. EST (2238 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott appeared reluctant
Tuesday to back the $483 billion dollar tax cut plan put backed by Republican
presidential front-runner Gov. George W. Bush of Texas.
A reporter asked the Mississippi Republican whether he would like to see
the budget resolution include the tax cut proposed by Bush.
"I would like for us to continue to work to try to make the tax code
fairer, and I'd like for us to always look for an opportunity to cut the rates,
because I think that's where the greatest unfairness is and where the most good
for the economy can be done," Lott said. "But I'm not ready to [adopt] a
particular procedure at this time or a number."
Lott said he favors eliminating estate and "marriage penalty" taxes, and, he said,
he would favor paying for education through tax incentives. "But I don't think
we ought to make our tax-proposal decisions based on the proposal of any
candidate for president at this time," Lott said. "I think Governor Bush has a very
good package, but we may not be able to do as good a package as he likes until
we have him as president, if that's the case."
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