Laws of Inheritance?

During the Congressional hearing on Wednesday that examined the estate tax, Democratic Representative Linda Sanchez offered a baffling defense of the tax that sometimes places an unbearable burden on family farms and businesses. 

Sanchez reasoned that since people receiving food stamps must pass drug tests or meet work requirements to receive taxpayer dollars, it is only fair that those “lucky” enough to inherit wealth should have to do something to earn it, in this case, pay a tax.  “Why is it that [a single mother] should be drug tested, which is an unrelated requirement to receive food assistance, to make sure that her family has enough to eat,” she asked, “and people who are lucky enough to inherit millions of dollars are literally required to do nothing to the federal tax benefit with their inheritance?”

Sanchez acknowledged that Americans should value hard work, but lamented the “paradox” that occurs when individuals want to work hard so they can accumulate wealth to live off of in retirement and pass on to their children.  These remarks were made after hearing a witness describe the heartbreak her family is enduring after watching her father try to find an alternate route in passing his business to his children without breaking it up in order to pay the death tax. 

See Rachel Stolzfoos, Congresswoman Says Kids Should Be Drug-Tested Before They Can Inherit, The Daily Caller, March 18, 2015.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing) for bringing this article to my attention.