▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁which ▁was ▁ 3 4 . 5 %. ▁P over ty ▁was ▁at ▁ 1 2 . 7 % ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁Tax es ▁ ▁President ▁Bush ▁won ▁passage ▁for ▁two ▁major ▁tax ▁cut s ▁during ▁his ▁term ▁in ▁office : ▁The ▁Econom ic ▁G row th ▁and ▁Tax ▁Rel ief ▁Re con c ili ation ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁and ▁the ▁Job s ▁and ▁G row th ▁Tax ▁Rel ief ▁Re con c ili ation ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁Collect ively , ▁they ▁became ▁known , ▁analyz ed , ▁and ▁deb ated ▁as ▁the ▁" B ush ▁tax ▁cut s ". ▁ ▁The ▁cut s , ▁scheduled ▁to ▁exp ire ▁a ▁de cade ▁after ▁passage , ▁increased ▁the ▁standard ▁income ▁tax ▁dedu ction ▁for ▁married ▁cou ples , ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁estate ▁tax , ▁and ▁reduced ▁marg inal ▁tax ▁rates . ▁Bush ▁asked ▁Congress ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁tax ▁cut s ▁permanent , ▁but ▁others ▁wanted ▁the ▁cut s ▁to ▁be ▁wh olly ▁or ▁partially ▁repe aled ▁even ▁before ▁their ▁scheduled ▁exp iration , ▁seeing ▁the ▁decrease ▁in ▁re venue ▁while ▁increasing ▁sp ending ▁as ▁f isc ally ▁ir respons ible . ▁ ▁Bush ' s ▁supp or ters ▁claim ▁that ▁the ▁tax ▁cut s ▁increase ▁the ▁pace ▁of ▁economic ▁recovery ▁and ▁job ▁creation . ▁They ▁also ▁claim ▁that ▁total ▁benefits ▁to ▁wealth ier ▁individuals ▁are ▁a ▁reflection ▁of ▁higher ▁tax es ▁paid . ▁Ind