Revenue & Spending

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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more news

House Passes Half-Hearted Disclosure Bill, Alternative Remains Popular in Senate

The House passed legislation last week that would provide for a free, searchable database to disclose information about government grants. H.R. 5060 sponsored by Reps. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Tom Davis (R-VA) passed the House on a voice vote on June 21, under suspension of the rules. The bill does not address disclosure of federal contracts, which accounted for some $339.7 billion in federal spending in 2004 alone.

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House Saves Program for Measuring Results of Government Assistance

The House voted Jun. 13 to partially fund the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), saving what is considered an essential tool for assessing how well government assistance programs are working.

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Congress Drops the Ball on Minimum Wage Again

Congress failed last week to raise the federal minimum wage which has stagnated for nearly a decade. The failure to act means its unlikely American workers will see a minimum wage increase any time soon. In the Senate, two measures to raise the minimum wage were voted down. In the House, an appropriations bill that contains a minimum wage increase is being kept from the floor, and Republicans have simultaneously rebuffed a Democratic effort to link an increase in the minimum wage with a bill that would nearly repeal the estate tax.

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Estate Tax Vote Postponed This Week

Jun 27, 2006 by Guest Blogger

We got word that the estate tax vote that may have been taking place in the Senate this week has been postponed and will not be taking place this week (or next week since they will be out for recess). This is good news. The longer they linger on holding this vote, the less of a chance it has of actually happening. The vote is not taking place this week likely because Majority Leader Frist (R-TN) knows he does not have the votes to overcome the necessary procedural hurdles.

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CRS Says War Spending Will Top $500 Billion

Jun 27, 2006 by Matthew Madia

The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has estimated in a new report that the overall cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001 will top $500 billion next year (the fiscal year ends September 30). The latest addition to this spending, of course, was the $69 billion allocated in the supplemental spending bill signed into law earlier this month.

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Warren Buffett Opposes Estate Tax Repeal

Jun 27, 2006 by Craig Jennings

ThinkProgress points us to a New York Times article in which Warren Buffett states his opposition to estate tax repeal: Mr. Buffett said repealing the estate tax "would be a terrible mistake," the equivalent of "choosing the 2020 Olympic team by picking the eldest sons of the gold-medal winners in the 2000 Olympics."...

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House Democrats Continue Fight for Minimum Wage Hike

Jun 27, 2006 by Craig Jennings

Although the Senate defeated two minimum wage increase proposals last week, Democrats in the House are working to bring their minimum wage hike to a floor vote. Their resolve is grounded in a simple principal neatly summarized by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD): "We want people to work hard and play by the rules. And when they do, they should not be relegated to poverty."

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Estate Tax Update

Jun 26, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

Last week, the House approved Rep. Bill Thomas’ (R-CA) estate tax repeal reduction bill. This week, the Senate will take up the issue when it begins debate on estate tax near-repeal. Senate majority leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is expected to ask for a vote to end debate to bring the Senate’s version of the house bill to a full floor vote. To garner the 60 votes needed to end debate Frist will have to convince three Democrats to vote for cloture. Because of your e-mails two weeks ago, the Senate was persuaded to refuse to kill the estate tax. We’ll do it again this week! Take Action!

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Summary of House Grants Disclosure Bill

Jun 23, 2006 by Matthew Madia

The House of Representatives passed a bill requiring the Office of Management and Budget to ensure there is a free searchable website providing access to federal financial assistance awards. This searchable database will not cover disclosure of federal contracts, however. H.R. 5060, co-sponsored by Reps. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Tom Davis (R-VA), passed the House on a voice vote on June 21. Click here to read more.

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Summary of House Grants Disclosure Bill

The House of Representatives passed a bill requiring the Office of Management and Budget to ensure there is a free searchable website providing access to federal financial assistance awards. This searchable database will not cover disclosure of federal contracts, however. H.R. 5060, co-sponsored by Reps. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Tom Davis (R-VA), passed the House on a voice vote on June 21.

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