Appropriations

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Committees Get to Work; Soc. Security Tabled For Now

Sep 8, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Congressional tax committees have set to work and are looking into how tax policy can be used to help victims of the recent disaster, both immediately and in the long run. Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Charles Grassley (R-IA) told reporters in a morning news conference that his committee would be looking into relief efforts associated with past natural disasters in order to determine which policies have been effective. Then, they will look into applying similar policies to help those affected by Katrina. Meanwhile, in the House the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Bill Thomas (R-CA), is apparently exploring a three-phase approach addressing the initial humanitarian concerns, followed by infrastructure concerns, and finally long-term reconstruction. The first measure, which could move as early as September 8, deals with getting money to individuals through TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). The measure would remove a lot of red tape and provide immediate assistance for a number of families. Also, it is pretty clear that any sort of work on Social Security legislation is off the table now that Congressional leaders have their hands full dealing with the disaster. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) told BNA News Services that "Major issues are overtaking a number of issues like Social Security. It's hard to foresee a legislative agenda addressing the long-term issues associated with Social Security this fall." Grassley made similar comments, telling reporters that his top priority this fall will be disaster-related measures, the Roberts nomination, budget reconciliation legislation and appropriation bills, and then Social Security.

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Bipartisan Group Calls For A Delay in Cuts

Sep 7, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Four U.S. Senators sent a letter to Finance Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R-IA) yesterday, requesting that he "indefinitely delay consideration" of addressing entitlement cuts in reconciliation this year. The letter mentioned how important it is not to cut "numerous programs available to help meet basic needs," such as food stamps, Medicaid, housing and education. Notably, two Republican Senators, Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) sent this letter, along with Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-AZ) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR). While it is important that these Senators are standing up to protect these important programs in a time of extreme need, it is sad that it took a national tragedy of such large scale in order for many to recognize the importance of strong and well-funded social safety net programs.

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$51.8 Billion Package Requested By President

Sep 7, 2005 by Guest Blogger

The Associated Press is reporting President Bush will request $51.8 billion in additional emergency relief funding for Hurricane Katrina from Congress. As the cost of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's daily operations in the Gulf Coast climbed to over $700 million, it became clear the previous emergency supplemental approved last week for $10.5 billion would not last long. The request could be approved by Congress as early as tomorrow. The second supplemental request will include $1.4 billion for the military and $400 million for the Army Corps of Engineers, which is working to repair breaks in the levee system around New Orleans. The remaining $50 billion will go to FEMA. This is unlikely to be the last emergency funding for this disaster, as Congressional leaders and recovery experts are expecting the total damages to cost upwards of $150 billion. In addition, yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report examining the economic repercussions of Hurricane Katrina to Congressional leaders. The CBO found the economic effects of the disaster could be as severe as a one-percentage point drop in econonmic growth and the possible loss of up to 400,000 jobs by the end of 2005.

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Democrats Urge Suspension of Budget/Tax Cuts

Sep 7, 2005 by Guest Blogger

The Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, along with the ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Budget Committees are urging the GOP leadership in congress to suspend consideration of the budget and tax cuts outlined in this years budget resolution as the country continues to assess the impact of, and future needs for the recovery from, Hurricane Katrina. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sens. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and John Spratt (D-MO) sent a letter to their Republican counterparts today expressing the need for a re-evaluation of national priorities in the wake of this tragedy. The letter states, "The budget resolution - including its reconciliation instructions - is a fundamental statement of our policy priorities. Hurricane Katrina will require a rethinking of these priorities." With concerns already mounting about the increase in deficits caused by emergency funding for the victims of the hurricane, it will become more difficult for Republican leaders to justify cutting many programs survivors are likely to depend on while at the same time extending tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans and undermine the government's ability to provide more relief and recovery resources to the Gulf Coast region in the months and years ahead.

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Watcher: September 7, 2005

Sep 7, 2005 by Adam Hughes*

Federal Budget

Despite Recovering Economy, Poverty On the Rise for Fourth Straight Year
Circumstances Force Frist to Postpone Estate Tax Vote
Finishing Appropriations Bills Will Be Juggling Act for Congress

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Finishing Appropriations Bills Will Be Juggling Act for Congress

Thanks to the House and Senate appropriations committee reorganization that took place earlier this year, the appropriations wrap up this fall promises to be particularly dreadful, causing headaches for politicians, congressional staff, and analysts alike. In a startling display of ignorance and lack of foresight, the House and Senate chose to reorganize their appropriations committees in an inconsistent and uncoordinated way.

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Devastation Forces Reconciliation Reconsideration

Sep 6, 2005 by Guest Blogger

CongressDaily reported today that the recent Hurricane Katrina devastation is "making GOP leaders think twice about moving ahead with a $34.7 billion package of entitlement spending cuts outlined by the FY06 budget resolution." Congressional Republicans are coming under a good deal of fire from Democrats, who are arguing that now is not the time to be cutting social programs, with so many people in need. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) said ""We will keep reconciliation on track for now," and added that scheduling decisions would be subject to a "day-to-day evaluation." There is a possibility that a reconciliation package could be amended and scaled back either in committee or on the floor.

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Shifting the Focus Away From Tax Cuts

Sep 6, 2005 by Guest Blogger

The New York Times ran an editorial on Saturday, "Katrina's Assault on Washington," which highlighted the fact that our political leaders are often more interested in promoting an agenda full of tax cuts than in promoting responsible investment and shared national sacrifice. This approach, the editorial argues, must change. The editorial says, "If [political leaders] respond by passing a few emergency measures and then falling back on their plan to enact more tax cuts, America will have to confront the fact that it is stuck with leaders who neither know, nor care, how to lead." The recent disaster should be a wake-up call that it pays to invest money in our communities. This administration's focus on tax cuts over investment has left agencies and programs underfunded, and has, in a way, made it more difficult for us to respond to the what has happened on the Gulf Coast. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities expands upon this in their recent statement on the challanges Congress faces now in the wake of the hurricane.

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Estate Tax Vote Delayed For Now

Sep 6, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Despite reports on Friday that the Senate would go ahead with the estate tax vote this week -- even in the wake of Hurricane Katrina -- it appears Frist has decided to postpone the vote for now. The vote was delayed partially because of the efforts of Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who pressured Frist to call off the vote on tax cuts. In his statement, Reid said a vote on the estate tax would be "a travesty on top of a tragedy." Bloomberg News: Estate Tax Vote Put Behind Katrina

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Frist Will Go Ahead With the Estate Tax Vote

Sep 2, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Congress Daily reported this afternoon that despite the devastation with this week's hurricane and flooding, Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) plans to go ahead with the Congressional schedule as previously planned, which means that there will be a vote on the estate tax on Tuesday. According to Congress Daily, Frist rejected a request from Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to suspend work on the tax bill. The Senate will, therefore, move forward with their vote to repeal the estate tax. Repeal of the estate tax would gut levels of federal revenue and would hurt charities by taking away an incentive for people to give. It seems as though in a time of national devastation -- as we are experiencing right now -- it is awfully bold of Frist and Congressional leaders to move ahead with legislation that would take more money away from federal coffers (which is used to invest in national infrastructure), and instead make a move to further pad the pockets of the wealthy. Disgraceful. Sen. Baucus (D-MT), who has been the Democrats' key negotiator on the estate tax, issued the following statement regarding the vote: “I am supportive of working on repealing the estate tax, but now is not the appropriate time. The nation is calling out for the Senate to act to help those in need. We have passed an emergency spending bill, but the emergency has not subsided. People are still homeless. New Orleans is still buried in dark water. Our work is not finished. Instead of moving to the estate tax when the Senate is back in session, I encourage my colleagues to concentrate on the victims left in Hurricane Katrina’s wake.”

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