{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://graves.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletters/saving-the-family-farm", "Saving the Family Farm", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A famous quote says, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing certain in life except death and taxes.\u201d\nIt\u2019s ironic and infuriating then that the government taxes your death. It\u2019s known as the \u201cDeath Tax\u201d or the \u201cEstate Tax\u201d or the \u201cInheritance Tax\u201d and it applies to anything you might hope to pass on such as money, equipment, or land to your loved ones. No matter what you call it, a tax that kicks in when you die is absurd. It\u2019s not the government\u2019s money to begin with!\nFarmers are hit especially hard by the death tax. After a lifetime of acquiring land and equipment to help provide food for the world, farmers are subjected to an additional tax on their estate when they die. The real effect of this double, and sometimes triple, taxation is felt by the late farmer\u2019s family.\nWhile many folks receive an inheritance in the form of a check or stocks and bonds, the family farmer passes on his life\u2019s work and ensures that farming continues as a way of life in North Missouri and around the country.\nIt\u2019s no wonder that our kids and grandkids aren\u2019t choosing to farm when they grow up. It\u2019s expensive enough to get a farming operation off the ground, much less keep it in the family after giving part of it to the government.\nI believe your death shouldn\u2019t be a taxable event. Farmers shouldn\u2019t work all of their life, saving and paying taxes, just to have the government show up with another bill for them and their family when they die.\nThat\u2019s why a crucial part of tax reform is getting rid of the death tax. We\u2019ve been able to increase the amount exempted from the tax in the past but that\u2019s not enough.\u00a0The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act\u00a0will provide immediate relief from the death tax by doubling the earnings exemption with a full elimination of the tax after six years.\nAs a sixth-generation family farmer and small businessman, I know firsthand the importance of tax reform. Meaningful tax reform must benefit rural Missourians and our plan does just that. We\u2019ve waited more than 30 years; it\u2019s time for a tax system that benefits everyone.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://graves.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletters/saving-the-family-farm"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0129709262400866, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}