Earmarks

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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DAILY FISCAL POLICY REPORT -- Mar. 4, 2008

Mar 4, 2008 by Dana Chasin

Budget Resolution:

Modest Proposals -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office described the goals for the House budget resolution as follows: "We want to talk about responsible fiscal spending that is going to provide health care, education and job training... Our budget is going to balance by 2012, it is going to adhere to PAYGO and restore fiscal responsibility"... Democrats are expected to add $25-35 billion to Bush's topline for domestic programs.

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Early Bird Nussle Makes a Play for the Worm

Mar 3, 2008 by Craig Jennings

Getting Bush's veto-threats out early, OMB Director Nussle promises Bush will veto...well pretty much anything that wasn't written by the president.

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DAILY FISCAL POLICY REVIEW -- 03-03-08

Mar 3, 2008 by Dana Chasin

Budget Resolution: Budget Committees This Week --

House Budget: Complete, all-day mark-up of Chair Rep. John Spratt's (D-SC) FY09 budget resolution draft is expected for Wednesday, March 5
Senate Budget: Opening statements on budget resolution on Wednesday, March 5; consideration of Sen. Kent Conrad's (D-ND) Chairman's Mark is to begin late Wednesday or early Thursday

NB: the final FY09 budget action in Congress is likely to be at the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance committees, with jurisdiction over healthcare and tax policy.

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DAILY FISCAL POLICY REVIEW -- 02-29-08

Feb 29, 2008 by Dana Chasin

Economy -- Bernanke Predicts Bank Failures: On the Hill a second straight day, Fed chair Ben Bernanke testified that "there probably will be some bank failures," as the econony slows but ruled out stagflation. Analysis: Bernanke and the Recession. Housing -- As Senate Stymied on Housing Stimulus: Senate Republicans, lining up with President Bush, blocked a Democratic bill to let bankruptcy judges reduce the terms of foreclosed mortgages and expanded allowance for state housing finance authorities to issue mortgage revenue bonds. Story.

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DAILY FISCAL POLICY REVIEW -- 02-28-08

Feb 28, 2008 by Dana Chasin

Economy -- Bernanke Signals Further Rate Cuts: Fed Chair Ben Bernanke said yesterday in congressional testimony that in light of continuing "downside risks" from the housing slump, the Fed is prepared to make further rate cuts. Bernanke's testimony. Budget Reconciliation -- Vehicle for Stimulus 2.0?: Senate Budget chief Kent Conrad said yesterday that he may include a $35 billion stimulus package including a UI extension, boost to food stamps and LIHEAP, perhaps added funding road or water infrastructure projects, but not additional Medicaid money, as the NGA requested this week.

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Another Stimulus Package May Be Included in Budget Resolution

Feb 28, 2008 by Craig Jennings

...and designated "emergency" CongressDaily is reporting ($) that Senate Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad (D-ND) may include another round of stimulus spending in the budget resolution. The budget resolution will include a separate $35 billion economic-stimulus bill that will be made up of an unemployment insurance extension, a temporary increase in food stamps and low-income heating assistance. Conrad said the stimulus bill will not be offset. The budget resolution will designate the stimulus bill as emergency spending.

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DAILY FISCAL POLICY REPORT -- 02-27-08

Feb 27, 2008 by Adam Hughes*

Budget Resolution (BR) -- Weapons of Instruction: Senate Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad hasn't yet decided whether to separate the tax and spending reconciliation bills or include reconciliation instructions in the FY09 BR his committee is to mark up next week. (FY09 Instruction, see p. 44) Among the instruction items under consideration:

extending renewable energy tax credits
money for state infrastructure
delaying a June 30 Medicare physicians pay cut
Medicare Advantage funding cuts
education legislation
a one-year offset AMT patch

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A Second Look at Budget Process Reform

Feb 26, 2008 by Dana Chasin

Every year, the Bush administration's annual budget volume includes a section entitled Budget Process Reforms -- which sets out a series of initiatives similar one year to the next, generally self-serving to the executive branch, and not seriously pursued with the legislative branch (see, e.g., Budget Reform Proposals-in-Wonderland").

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DAILY FISCAL POLICY REPORT -- 02-26-08

Feb 26, 2008 by Dana Chasin

Economy -- Wholesale Prices Highest Since 1981: The Labor Department said yesterday that wholesale prices rose 1 percent in January, a 7.4 percent jump from January 2007... The last time wholesale inflation over 12 months was higher than 7.4 percent: October 1981. Story.

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DAILY FISCAL POLICY REVIEW -- 02-25-08

Feb 25, 2008 by Dana Chasin

Ahead This Week Tax/Energy Bill -- PAYGO in Play: This week, the House will take up a package of tax incentives for alternative energy and energy conservation programs omitted from last December's energy bill... The House tax bill would cost about $18.1 billion over 11 years and would comply with PAYGO by denying or reducing tax benefits for big oil and gas companies. Stimulus 2.0 -- Housing Sector: Meanwhile in the Senate, time permitting, the Democratic leadership will seek this week to bring a housing stimulus package of direct aid, tax breaks, and other initiatives to the floor.

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