WASHINGTON, DC – This Tax Day, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts called on Congress to make critical tax relief permanent, benefitting nearly one million hard working Kansas families trying to stretch the budget in a struggling economy.

"We are working to preserve the current tax relief that has lowered income tax rates across the board, doubled the child tax credit, lowered the rates on capital gains and dividends, and provided marriage penalty relief," Senator Roberts said. "However, some in Congress want to allow this tax relief to expire in 2010."

• If this tax relief expires, hard-working American families will see their tax bill go up by an average of $2,300 per year.
• For $2,300, families could buy eight months of groceries, pay home energy bills for a whole year, or buy gas for two cars over the course of a year.
• Americans will work 113 days this year to pay all of their tax bill – their federal, state, and local taxes.
• If this tax relief is allowed to expire, Americans will face a collective tax hike of more than $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, the biggest tax increase in history.

"Today, American families are filing tax returns that show them exactly what they pay Washington in taxes. We have to work until April 23 just to pay off what we owe Uncle Sam," Senator Roberts said. "Preserving tax relief is vital to shoring up a troubled economy. I’ll fight to renew this tax relief so families are not faced with an even higher tax burden."

As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Roberts has long supported tax relief on individuals and small businesses.

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