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On the House Floor
This week, the House passed H.R. 2102, the Free Flow of Information Act, which establishes new federal protections for journalists. Additionally, the House passed H.R. 3678, the Internet Tax Freedom Amendments Act, which extends the ban on Internet access taxes for four years. The House also voted to sustain the President’s veto of H.R. 976, which would expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
And the Winner Is…
Recently, the Republicans on the House Budget Committee unveiled the “Budget Boondoggle Award.” This new award will recognize the shameful, wasteful, and sometimes ugly spending by the federal government. The committee is currently considering several well-qualified nominees, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for its effort to spend $3.5 million to melt $24 million worth of ice. Another nominee is the spendthrift Democrats; when the President proposed eliminating 91 duplicative and unneeded government programs, the Democrat-controlled Congress decided to fund 78 of these programs, costing taxpayers an extra $4.9 billion. The frontrunner for the award, however, is clearly the former executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. While at his post, he spent an average of $376 per day on limousines in London, Paris, Rome, Washington, and San Francisco. But that’s not all. He spent $1,695 on a dinner at the U.S. Senate dining room; $8,780 for a boat cruise on Lake Geneva in Switzerland; $8,436 for a dinner in Switzerland for 63 people; and $5,150 for a meal and drinks for 74 staff members at a retreat in Switzerland. More nominees will soon be announced, and we await the winner with much anticipation.
Tax, Tax and More Tax
Since taking control of Congress, Democrats have been determined to pass legislation increasing taxes. They constantly attempt to justify this by claiming the rich are able to avoid paying taxes while leaving the middle and lower class to pick up the tab. If only the Democrats would examine the facts before making these outlandish claims. In 2005, the top one percent of tax filers paid approximately 40 percent of all federal taxes, and the overall top 50 percent of tax filers paid 97 percent of all federal taxes. The taxes paid by the top one percent are the highest they have been in recent history, and with the decreasing budget deficits which have resulted from the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, there is no justification for raising taxes. A tax increase would not only cause our economy to decline and unemployment to rise, but it would also decrease the quality of life for Americans. As prices continue to rise for basic costs such as health care, education, and energy, Congress should not increase the financial burden on the hard-working people of our country. Instead of raising taxes, Congress should find ways to extend the tax cuts which have been a proven success in the last six years. That is why I have co-sponsored legislation to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax, permanently repeal the Death Tax, and simplify our complex system of taxation. Instead of raising revenue to pay for their massive increases in spending, Democrats should focus on ways to improve government efficiency, eliminate wasteful spending, and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money.
Quote of the Week
“It is hard to say which of Al Gore's awards seems more improbable: his Academy Award, although he does not possess a single skill required for filmmaking, or his Nobel Peace Prize for his work on global warming, although he has no technical skills in that area and he has misled the world profoundly as to the danger…If only he could arrange to lose another election to a Republican, he could be chosen Pope, Homecoming King and Soapbox Derby champion." — Tony Blankley, former Washington Times Editor. October 17, 2007.
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